Raijin
by ScrawnyTreeDemon
Summary: Anytime they stopped would give their pursuer a chance to strike. They must get to the temple, they cannot afford to stop. Link and Zelda are forced to flee after the rise of the new demon king, but how long they'll withhold, only time can tell. Post-Skyward Sword, contains violence and mentions of traumatic events. Has ZeLink, but it's not so in your face.
1. I

Drops hit the ground, wind howled through the trees, and thunder rumbled in the skies above. Cold bore through cloth, flesh and bone to freeze the soul. A frantic pounding across the ground, rippling the vast puddles over the forest floor.

Tears poured down a face, stifled howls of pain that couldn't be let out, and a relentless pursuer from the skies above.

Even in the dense forest of Faron the merciless rain shot down like hundreds of icy arrows on their skin. They fought not to slip while running up the flights of stairs that led to the deep woods, where their sanctuary resided. A snap of lighting barely missed them by a couple of feet-they could only thank the goddesses it hadn't.

The thunder grew louder and more deliberate, as if it were trying to form a coherent sentence. It sounded loathing and wrathful with a pained undertone, just like he who summoned it.

They found temporary solace in the cave that conjoined the two areas, getting in far enough before slumping against the walls in defeat. His hand grabbed hers as they closed their eyes in relief. They let out a collective sigh; they could finally stop running for a while. She collapsed into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder, before silently sobbing.

A reassuring kiss was planted on the top of her head as he held her close, giving a hateful look to the weather outside. Curse him. Ever since he had become king he made it his job to track them down and make their lives absolutely miserable.

He remembered when they had started with high hopes three years ago, all the plans to erect a village on the new and wonderful land below. He remembered the long nights of sitting around a table with the others, Zelda stressing over each minor detail, Eagus and Pippit planning out possible patrol routes, and Groose coming up with all sorts of wacky contraptions; anything from weapons to transportation or even lighting. Slowly but surely, the people made their way down to the surface. Gangs of monsters were fought off, houses were built and crops grown.

Another spark of lightning landing at the mouth of the cave brought him back to reality, reminding him of their mission. They had to get to Skyview. He gently nudged Zelda, reminding her of the task at hand. Slowly but surely she got up, clinging to him like a young child. Another crash. He felt her body stiffen at the harsh sound.

"Hey," he said softly, planting a kiss on her cheek, "we're halfway there."

She looked up at him, eyes red from crying and face stained with tears, and lightly nodded. They slowly began to walk, paying little heed to the thunder booming with rage. The wind gave loud, horrid cries, wailing through the trees horrible threats and curses. When they had gotten to the other side, they had found to their horror all the ropes had been snapped and the shortcut that Link had created during his quest was blocked by some trees that had been felled; it didn't take much thought as to who did it.

Thankfully, during the years of solitude, thick vines had grown over the cliff and trees. Link got out the Clawshots whilst Zelda clung onto him most fiercely, and they shot off. As soon as they landed on the other side they quickly scrambled off the ground. Any moment they were still gave their pursuer an opportunity to strike.

They quickly repeated the motion, going from cliff to cliff, narrowly escaping being hit by lighting on a few occasions. This reminded Link of the tactics their pursuer used in the battles against him.

At last they had arrived at Skyview, and they hurried to heave open the heavy metal doors that guarded the entrance. Once they were in, Link made an effort to shut the doors as much as he could while Zelda placed a barrier spell that would deter any evil.

They got out their meals, each of them a bottle filled with the yellow fruit that grew plentiful here and a slice of stale bread. They were both dripping wet and panting from exhaustion. They made their way into the bowels of the temple, where hopefully the demon king couldn't reach them with his sharp, white hands.

The temple was now long abandoned; they had cleared it out long ago during the hunts so nothing posed threat to them. At least they hoped so. They eventually reached the final room, the one most intact. They also met the one who would cause them the most grief and suffering imaginable.

They felt slightly unsettled as they entered the room, Link especially.

There was nothing wrong with the room itself, as it was brightly lit, and just beyond was the spring. And yet, it wasn't pleasant to have to take refuge here. Their packs were tossed carelessly onto the floor as they, for the second time that day, slumped up against a wall. The storm outside couldn't even be heard despite all its attempts to be. For the first time that day, they were completely safe.

They ate their meals in silence, Link wrapping an arm around Zelda as they began to grow sleepy. He lazily threw off his cloak and Zelda followed suit, setting them on the ground along with anything else they had as a soft surface for them to sleep on.

"Do you think he'll capture us," she whispered, "again?"

Link's eyes were already closed, and he wanted to sleep.

"I dunno... I hope not..."

She snuggled up to him, running her hands through his hair. A sleepy smile had adorned Link's scarred face. Nothing, not even all the pain, torture, or mutilation could ever take away Link's beauty. Nothing could ever stop him from being gorgeous in every single way.

She rested her hand on the area where his left ear had been. A scar that had been made to match the assailant's own, and for that- among many other things- she despised him. She gently pressed her soft lips against her hero's rough, chapped ones.

"Goodnight-" she murmered

"...sleepy head." he finished.

* * *

Link woke up to Zelda neatly folding all their things and putting them in a corner. He also noticed she'd put anything that was small enough in the pots that were scattered around the room. "Were" being the key word; they were now neatly aligned up against the wall with their other stuff.

"Why good morning, my sleepy head!" she chimed, smile wide across her face and a glint in her eyes.

He noticed her hair and skin were washed and that she'd put on some new clothes. This prompted him to take a towel to the face.

"You look like a mess," she said, letting out a small giggle

"Alright, alright, princess, I'll go wash up"

He made his way through the golden door and up the steps to the spring. Had the storm passed? All it took was a look up at the sky to notice little ripples in the dome-shaped barrier. The springs had to be absolutely secluded; the goddess couldn't have dirty water from bird droppings, or have intruders come in from the sky and ruin the place.

She'd thought of everything, that Hylia. She'd ensured nothing would disturb the springs or Skyloft- or at least that's what they'd thought for a long time.

The capture of her incarnation said enough. In the end, nowhere was truly safe.

He had gotten out of his dirty clothes and into the crystalline waters. They managed to be cool yet warm at the same time; a relaxing prospect.

Link lay his head back, closing his eyes as he released a long, heavy sigh. He opened his eyes and looked into the water, grimacing at the scars that tore his face. He slowly raised a hand to his left ear. What right did that demon think he had to do that to them? To him. To Zelda. To everyone.

He remembered the day that blight came; no one was expecting it. By that time everyone had assumed he perished along with his master.

The sound of voices singing filled the air, mixed with the occasional ripple of laughter. The smiles on everyone's faces.

Of all the days to crash in and ruin his entire life, it had to be his wedding day. Then again, the demon king was one for theartrics, and what better a day to take everything away than the day it was to be given?

Link ran his hands through his hair, wringing out all the filth that it had absorbed.

All the filth that he had accumulated over the weeks just fell away effortlessly. There really was something special about the spring. Well, aside from the healing properties of the water, the fact it had held a message from the goddess, and that it had a barrier around it.

It was now time to get out and dry himself off. He hadn't eaten yet. He climbed out of the spring and dried himself off, and once inside he hastily put on his clothes and got out a hunk of dried meat. He gnawed voraciously until nothing was left but the bone. It had been quite a while since they were able to eat meat, and his body craved it.

He noticed Zelda wasn't in the room, probably scouting the area just in case. She was an expert with a bow, a few monsters wouldn't bring much harm. He picked up his sword, the sword that Gondo had crafted for him, before the demon came...

Now was not the time to be thinking of such things, he had to go join Zelda. It didn't take long to find her. She was in the centre room, shooting down few crates that hung from the ceiling.

"Ah, finally done with your bath I see?" she said, playfully cocking her head.

"Yeah." He laid his eyes on the planks of smashed wood all over the ground. "Found anything useful?"

"Not really..." She let out a sigh. "This means we'll have to return to the surface, sooner or later."

He let out a dismayed grunt. He had hoped they wouldn't have to return for quite some time. Their supplies were still decent, a little bit more on the low side, but maybe they could make it few more days...

They wandered around the temple a bit, not finding much at all. It seemed like the raids really did their job. He could hardly believe that at some point there'd been a bunch of knights running around the place, exploring every room and every passage, and that they considered doing some renovation on this temple in few years time. Well here he was; a few years later and nothing had been done.

They stood right at the entrance, peeping through the crack. It was even worse than before. Link could have sworn he'd seen water pooling up at the bottom of those chasms. Then, they heard a sound.

"Kwee!"

They looked down at the numerous Kikwis on the porch. To be honest, Link was a bit startled at the sudden appearance of the little bush-people.

"May we please, koo, come in?"

"Yes, yes, please do!" Zelda said without hesitation.

They gently pushed open the doors, letting the group in. Within a few seconds the floor was pooling with water. Link began to slowly close the doors. He noticed the Elder wasn't with them.

"Hey, why isn't Bucha with you?" he inquired, knitting his once-thick brows together.

"He's gone to talk with the water dragon. He thinks it may have something to do with her," Machi answered.

"What?"

That couldn't be further from the truth. It was a reasonable argument, considering Faron's temper, but seeing as there were no monsters and Faron wouldn't waste her power on nothing, it was still a wrong one.

"I can assure you Faron has nothing to do with it," Zelda piped.

"But then why is it so rainy?" Oolo inquired.

The Kikwis, while cautious, were sheltered. The attack happened on the sacred grounds, the raids on less wooded areas where the Kikwis were wary of. Faron, while harsh, still cared about the inhabitants of her woods, and did her best to protect them. So of course they wouldn't know.

"We'll explain later, right now you need to be dried off."

She hurried them down into the temple, but stopped when she noticed Link wasn't coming.

"Link?"

He turned his head to her, flashing a smile.

"I'll be here just in case Bucha or anyone else turns up, okay?"

Zelda, while a little hesitant, nodded. He could handle himself.

He wondered if the Hermit would be fine. The tree wouldn't get flooded for being so high, but Yerbal had a sleeping habit somehow even worse than his own. He wondered if any of the survivors were doing well.

Once again Link had fallen into a trance, reflecting on past memories. He wondered how long the temple would hold before the demon king found a crack, just like he did when he dragged Zelda down to this land.

He recalled looking up at the new king's face for the first time. He was somewhere around Demise' height, or at least what Link presumed the latter's height would be- Demise had appeared differently to everyone. He wondered if Ghirahim could do the same.

Ghirahim.

He hadn't dared to think about that name for a long time now.

It was so much easier to give the demon king no identity than that belonging to this violent, sadistic beast. He remembered the long white hair before it grew red. Not a fire, scorched red like Demise', for his hair was coal-black. No; Ghirahim's slowly dripped red from the roots like a blood-stained cloth, reflecting his violent nature. It would drip red onto the floor, his hair heavy like it were wet with all the blood he had shed, even though it held no moisture.

He remembered black eyes boring into his soul, that long tongue that would flicker out every now and then. His voice had gotten incredibly low and raspy, but still kept that elegant air about it. His skin was no longer an ashen grey; now it was porcelain white. He remembered those long, deep crimson claws that had tore through his flesh again and again, and again...

Link recoiled. Those memories were still too fresh for his liking, even though it had already been three months since their escape.

How long had he been sitting there, watching the rain hit the surface and pool up in puddles on the ground, he didn't know. The occasional flash of lighting struck, that may or may not be directed at some poor soul. The wind was screaming, screeching and wailing; he tried not to pay attention to what it said but his ears still picked up the words.

This is your fault.

I will drag you both into an eternity of torment for all you've done.

You killed him.

How about I kill her?

Link's eyes shot open. He turned his face away from the crack and stared off into the passageway. Most likely this was just another threat meant to scare him, but Link wasn't taking any chances.

He hurried down the stairway and squeezed through the little hole that led directly to the main passage.

He bolted into the main room.

It was all fine. Zelda was still here, and giving the kikwis a tour of the place. The little bush people seemed astounded at the fine architecture- even though it was now in ruins.

Zelda turned around, and smiled at him.

"Hey sleepyhead, decided to join us?"

Link hummed in agreement.

Even if it wasn't much, he felt like he should tell Zelda, once they were alone.

Eventually, they had reached the end. They let the kikwis out into the spring, who were astonished to see no storm here. Zelda explained the barrier that surrounded the place, and the kikwis listened, filled with awe. Their kind never knew much in the ways of magic, so anything relating to it was taken with much interest.

Link loved the kikwis, they were so nice and welcoming and had a strong bond with each other. It reminded him of Skyloft's community, all caring and supportive of each other.

Link missed that.

Eventually he and Zelda left the kikwis to enjoy the sunshine and the water. As soon as they were out of earshot and a good way down the stairway, Link tapped her shoulder.

"Zel, I have to tell you something," he bit his lip. "I know it probably isn't anything, but it's making me uncomfortable."

They sat down, and Zelda had a hand on his shoulder. She knitted her brows together.

"Has it got something to do with Ghirahim-have you spotted him?"

"Well, I haven't spotted him, but I could hear his voice in the wind. He was saying how he'd..." Link gnawed at his lip even more.

He used to not think all too much of Ghirahim's threats before, seeing as he always managed to best him, but after... that...

Zelda had her arm wrapped around him, pulling him close. She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"It's okay, you don't have to-"

"he said he'd, he'd"-how did he know the barrier was effective? Ghirahim had sent a tornado above the very barrier that had kept humanity safe for millennia-"kill you. And I know he's just saying this to get under my skin, but I lost you once, and I was lucky I got you back."

"Link, what brought me back wasn't luck; it was your skill and dedication. You killed the very being that Hylia-I, myself-couldn't!" she looked him in his deep blue eyes. "It doesn't matter what that self-important buffoon says, he'd have to get me in your sleep, and you always have an eye open."

"That self-important buffoon burned our town to the ground, killed your father and dozens of people, and kept us captive for goddess knows how long. He made you watch, knowing very well that the ritual had taken away-"

She put a soft, warm hand on his cheek. He gazed into those soft, sky-blue eyes, lost in her gaze. There was always something special about her, and yet she was always so down to earth.

"Link, for now, we're fine. We found a place to hide. I know it may not last forever, but please, just relax. You've already experienced enough stress. Just relax. For now, he can't do anything."

She gently pressed her lips against his, running her hands through his hair. Slim, nimble fingers twirling around the brass-coloured strands. In that moment, all of Link's worries melted away. He pulled her in close; he could feel her heartbeat, slow and steady. Her warmth reminding him of the times they snuggled up under the stars.

They parted, making some space between them.

"Just, take care of yourself."

"Linky, I will."

* * *

For the next few days nothing much happened. They took their time just eating, sleeping and bathing themselves in the glorious water and sunshine. But their supplies were starting to dwindle, and down here there was no reliable food source.

Link tried to reason against it, but alas: they had to return to the surface. And goddess knows if an army was waiting for them up there. They made their way to the mouth of the temple, praying nothing was waiting for them. What about the storm; was it still going? It made them both feel uneasy.

But they needed food, and badly.

Link peeked through the sliver of an opening. It wasn't raining, there were no monsters-no nothing. It seemed a little too . . . convenient, but they couldn't be picky.

They made their way to where the path was, and started to move the various logs and rubble out the way. By the time they had finished, they had a decent opening.

Having cleared the path, the couple made their way to the cave that lead to the main woods. Maybe there somebody would be waiting for them.

Even when they entered there was still no one there. In fact, there wasn't a single living thing in sight. The birds weren't singing, there were no walltulas clambering up and down the vines.

It felt . . . dead.

The only sounds heard were their slow, somber footsteps and the occasional gust of wind blowing through the trees. Even though the storm had passed, large clouds covered the sky in a blanket of white.

They stepped off the viewing platform and onto the ground.

The mud stuck to their feet, like it wanted to pull them into the ground; each step felt like a marathon. Thankfully, a tree bearing fruit was close by.

Link clambered up the trunk, getting into it's canopy. He reached over to one of the fruits and tossed it down to Zelda. He repeated the process with the other two.

Just as Link was climbing down, an arrow had been shot near where Zelda was. The couple snapped their heads up. Up on one of the thick roots of the tree was a bokoblin archer. Zelda got out her bow and shot at it, but it had ducked down. Its cries calling the others to the sight were heard.

They left the fruit and ran. A horn was sounded, and was met by a another, and another. The couple ran as quickly through the mud as they could. It was no use fighting an uphill battle, as much as that instinct tempted Link to do so.

When they had gotten up to the viewing platform, just narrowly avoiding getting shot again, Zelda got out her bow to deal with the ones further off, while Link struck down any that got too close. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, his pulse pounding in his ears as he struck them down one by one. Sure, it took longer than it would have with the Master Sword, but-

He felt alive. It had been so long since he had done any of this.

Just then, thunder could be heard from the skies above. A shower of rain came down in torrents, soaking Zelda's bow string and rendering it unusable. Zelda had fled into the cave, and Link followed her. He managed to narrowly avoid getting hit by a thunderbolt.

They ran through the cave. There was no way they could defeat an army of demons in such a confined space, even if they were safe from the storm. The sounds of the horde were getting louder and louder with each passing second. The couple ran outside and prepared to fight.

A blinding flash came from the direction of Skyview, and a deep rumble followed after. Link was gobsmacked. Without hesitation, Zelda dashed to the pathway.

"I'll go them get them out of there. You fend off the horde!" she yelled, trying to make herself heard above the storm.

"No, Zelda no! It's what he wa-", but before he could finish, she was already off.

She could fend for herself.

Hordes of monsters came gushing out of the cave, and Link cut them down one by one without fail. His eyes would always lead back to the temple, where Zelda was on the doorstep.

She had a spare bowstring.

His distraction was punished by a hard smack to the side from a bokoblin club. That area would bruise for days to come. He retaliated with a spin-attack, knocking all the monsters around him off their feet, before finishing off any that survived with a fatal blow.

She wasn't a helpless princess.

Moblins made their way into the clearing, tough wooden shields and long sharp spears. Link ran up the wooden surface and attacked from behind. He narrowly avoided getting skewered on the end of a spear. He cut into the shield time and time again. Bokoblin, moblin, even keese- didn't matter what they were, they were all on him. Gashes, bruises and scrapes; he bore them all with boldness.

But then, it all stopped. Just like that, the monsters turned heel, leaving him surrounded by the bodies of their comrades. It was always a grim moment, Link being surrounded by all his handiwork. When he fought, he cut them down without a thought, but when he stared into the dead eyes of the aftermath he couldn't help but feel... remorse?

The sky had started to clear, and he could even see specks of blue. He ran along the path to the temple. He had to get to her. Who knew what happened while he was fighting.

When he had gotten to the doorstep, he felt an aura that made him sick. It was twisted, almost rotting. It was noxious, and threatened to choke up his lungs. Resisting the urge to vomit, Link crept into the temple, fearful of what he might find.

The deeper he went, the stronger it got. He could almost smell it now. He knew this aura. He had felt it around dying monsters; Koloktos, and especially, especially Demise. He had pinned it down on dark magic, which was often related to demonic presence. He knew who he was going to see, but he didn't expect the image.

Kikwis cowering behind the various pillars in the room, a hole in the ceiling, and... There he was, Zelda gagged and bundled up in his arms. He was peacefully slumped against a wall, his eyes closed and legs sprawled out in front of him. His hair currently didn't bear that blood-soaked hue.

The aura had gotten so strong he was practically tasting it; he could feel it suck out the air from his lungs.

He looked unsuspecting, but the smile on his face said otherwise. Zelda's large blue eyes shot at Link. He could tell she wanted him to take the Kikwis and leave. She didn't want to bring him into this. She pleaded silently when he drew nearer.

It was then Ghirahim picked her up, slowly opening his eyes and looking directly into Link's. He brought her to his mouth, planting a kiss on the top of her head, tongue licking her hair.

Link was already feeling sick with the aura that hung about like a miasma, but the gesture made him gag. That was the last straw.

He drew his sword and ran in. Only to be caught up and his blade to be flung away. He punched, kicked and occasionally bit, but the demon king only lazily put Zelda down and summoned a piece of fabric to bind the hero. The battle against the horde had taken more from him than Link expected.

His gaze was disinterested, mouth barely pulling up into a smirk. He looked tired. He propped himself up and carelessly dropped Link onto his lap, doing the same with Zelda.

"Well," he began, voice deep and gravelly "I expected more from you, Hero." He smirked, raising his non-existent brows.

"As you can clearly tell, chasing you brats down has left me in quite a state." He began to lightly run his sharp claws down Link's back. "Fortunately for you, dear children, I am in a generous mood. I shan't harm you, but"⎯his voice drew to a whisper as he circled a claw around Link's severed ear⎯"if you run off like this again, and I find you... I shan't hesitate to, well, you get the point."

He raked his claws across Link's face, hair turning its blood-red hue..

Link winced as he remembered how Ghirahim had mutilated him, tearing him to shreds, and how he made Zelda watch it all.

"Understand?" Before Link could answer he tapped him on the temple. "Good.

"You know, it really is quite funny how my master, source of all evil, was defeated by a couple mere children." He tucked them in one arm, and slowly began to stand up. " And it's very comical that I got bested not once, not twice, but three times by you, dear hero." The last statement came out in a jeering tone.

Link peered over at the Kikwis, some of them looking from behind the pillars. He mouthed them to run, but none of them listened. He couldn't blame them.

It was then Link heard a loud gust of wind from the sky above. A blue figure was coming closer, and closer. It was then Faron, in all her glory, crashed in through the ceiling, quickly attempting to snatch the couple from the demon king's grasp.

Ghirahim, though surprised, held them firmly. He jabbed a kick at the water dragon, which she evaded with ease. He then summoned a blade they both knew all too well.

Ghirahim had no right to use him like this. Despite the room's vastness, Faron and her opponent kept scraping and destroying walls, thanks to the dragon's great size. Both of them had a good number of hits landed on them. But in his midst, Ghirahim had failed to realise he had loosened the grip on the humans, and greatly so. Link had managed to squirm out of the demon's arm and break free of the fabric that bound him. Ghirahim noticed but it was already too late; Faron had snatched up the little hero as soon as he dropped. This angered the demon king greatly, but suddenly he ceased fighting.

"I hope you'll enjoy living with this, child!" he growled.

And with a wave of his blade, he was gone. And he had taken Zelda with him.

It had taken a few moments for what just happened to resonate with Link. He stared at the wall in disbelief.

"He has the audacity to..." muttered Faron.

It was then it hit him, and when it did, it was hard. He began to sob, and then he began to whimper, which turned into a wail. Soon he was screaming his lungs out, tears flooding his face as the storm had earlier.

Faron usually wouldn't stand this, but she could understand his grief. He began screaming obscenities directed at the demon that was no longer present.

Eventually, after much comforting and being told it wasn't his fault and that Faron would do her best to get Zelda back, Link settled down, and, in time, fell asleep.

* * *

 **I would love to thank my spectacular beta-reader Mystic's Apprentice- they've been such a great help and have given me the option to expand the story more! I would also like to thank all of you who took the time to read this, and maybe let me know what you thought?**


	2. II

Stoney eyes rested on his weakened form. The perpetual smile carved into her features. She was a pleasant representation of the goddess, motherly and watchful, but nothing could compare to the real thing.

Faron had left him in the Temple of Time as she gathered a search party of the remaining deities to go looking for Zelda. He prayed to the three that she would be found before...

Why didn't he follow her back? He could have protected her. That semi-reasonable voice in his head told him that he wouldn't have been able to. It made him feel sick with shame at how quickly he had been worn out. Hero. The way Ghirahim said that word with such contempt replayed itself over and over in his mind.

How did he, the chosen hero of the goddess, saviour of the land, slayer of Demise, fall so low? He, the one that ancient prophecies spoke of, fell at the mere grasp of a demon? Demon king Ghirahim may be, but a demon nonetheless. He had killed their source, their god to save his own, yet he was so easily subdued by the one who tracked him down for doing so, the one he had defeated three times, for Din's sake!

"Kwee"

Link turned around to find Lopsa gingerly tapping his shoulder.

"Mister Hero, isn't it a bit cold for you out here?" he piped, somehow managing to look concerned despite his extremely simple facial features.

It was the night after Zelda's abduction. The storm had passed, but a strong breeze still lingered. He had been sitting in the middle of the courtyard, staring at the statue's face for quite a while. In fact, that's mostly what he'd been doing the whole day.

"We've been worried about you, Mister Hero- kyoo- are you alright?"

"I..." He briefly turned back to the statue. "I'm alright, thank you."

"It's not your fault- koowee- that man took her away." Lopsa turned to the statue. "Especially since you lost her before."

It was then Lopsa wrapped his little arms around Link's body.

"There, there," he said in his tiny, hushed voice.

Link scooped up the little creature with one arm, cradling him close. Despite being partially plant, the Kikwi was surprisingly warm.

He felt someone gently tapping on his knee. He repeated the process with Machi, then Oloo, followed by everyone else. Before he knew it, Link was covered in the little bush people, a small "kwee" would occasionally escape from one of them.

He felt warm and fuzzy, taking his mind off the matter that had been troubling him all day. He looked up from the pile of Kikwis, noticing a silhouette in the the temple's doorway.

The person was tall and slender, wearing a long robe and sporting hair that cascaded down their back. Slowly but surely the person made their way into the moonlight, and it was then Link stared dumbfounded.

There he was, Kikwi by his side, Instructor Owlan. Link gave a joyful cry, for here he was, whom he had feared dead for so long. Tears blurred his vision as his long-lost teacher made wide strides towards him. Owlan kneeled, looking Link in the eye.

"Link?" His eyes too were filled with tears.

Link nodded at his teacher, having to knit his brow and scrunch up his face to prevent falling into a sobbing fit. Without warning Owlan threw himself around Link, potentially squishing a few Kikwis while doing so.

The Kikwis made way for the tall man as he held his former student tight, resting his head against Link's. The hero heard him sob, and felt the urge to do the same. Link lay his head on the other's shoulder, returning the embrace. It was wonderful to meet a survivor after questioning for several months whether there were any. That some were still out there, hopefully out of the demon's grasp.

"I... missed you–" Link managed to choke out before being overwhelmed by another fit.

"Where have you been all this time?!" the instructor said, drawing him closer. "I–I've been searching the entire wood for you!"

"I'd thought you died. I am so glad to see you haven't!"

They both gave a short laugh, finally drawing apart. Link wiped his tears on the back of his sleeve, smile wide. "So, how've you been?" he asked.

"Aside from wandering the woods alone while trying to find anyone else and fending off many a beast, I haven't been too bad." He gave Erla a brief glance. "Honestly, Link, had Erla not found me but a few days ago I would have surely perished."

Now that they had withdrawn, Link was able to see the condition the former instructor was in. Robe soaked, ripped and dirty. Face pale and gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes. His white hair was greasy and knotted. But the one thing that stood out from all was that he was missing his right forefinger.

Owlan gently reached a hand out to touch the left side of Link's face. He carefully brushed his fingers along the surface of his skin, feeling the burns and lacerations that were once there. His brows were knit together, mouth slightly agape in horror.

"...We should go inside, it's quite chilly out here."

"Yeah..."

They got up, although Link was clutching his side where the Bokoblin had injured him.

"Are you alright?", Owlan asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Got distracted and got hit by a Bokoblin."

Owlan's eyes widened. He helped Link up, offering himself as a crutch.

"Don't worry, it's not too big of a deal; just some bruising."

As they made their way through the temple, its disrepair causing it to resemble its predecessor, they looked at whatever was left of the stained-glass windows. Link remembered when the temple was barely in it's infancy.

He remembered the day that was supposed to be their wedding, all the preparations, all the plans, and, of course, all of Zelda's fussing no matter how much Gaepora told her to relax.

He remembered the utter look of wrath, contempt, and undiluted hatred on Ghirahim's face as he dragged him off the ground by his collar on that day.

Link shot his head in Owlan's direction. He was inspecting the Tree of Life with unbridled curiosity.

"My my, what a spectacular specimen," he heard him mutter. Link had to restrain himself from sniggering at the sight.

At least one thing hadn't changed.

A strong gust of wind could be heard, and before Link knew it Faron was right behind him. Link could tell by the look on her face they still hadn't found Zelda. The water dragon looked absolutely drained.

"We...checked everywhere, and yet..." she started to mumble, "...we didn't even find a clue. It's like they just dissipated from existence."

Owlan whipped his head around.

"What's this about? You couldn't find who?"

Faron motioned to one of the Kikwis.

"Please inform the instructor of our current predicament."

The Kikwi nodded and proceeded to lead Owlan away. Faron pressed her clawed fingers to her temples. The pair stood there for a long time. It was then Link made up his mind.

"Call the search party off."

Faron stopped her rubbing and stared, dumbfounded at the hero.

"Pardon?"

"Call it off, I'll search for her myself."

Faron gave a half-hearted laugh, looking more tired than ever.

"Call it off and go search for her yourself?" she scoffed. "I appreciate your boldness, hero, but with your current state you are in no condition to go searching for the spirit maiden."

"And you're going to go wandering around with the other deities, leaving your territories open for attack by the demon hordes?" He raised a sparse brow.

Faron opened her mouth to object, then closed it. That hero had quite the nerve, which was probably why the goddess chose him. He did have a good point, but there was no telling what would happen to him if he left alone and never returned.

"Alright then, I'll call the search party off."

Link's eyes lit up.

"But first you must prepare, because those"–she pointed at his dirty, shredded and bloodstained clothes–"will certainly not do."

Link nodded, barely being able to contain himself.

"Tomorrow I shall take you to the Ancient Cistern. There you will bathe yourself and I'll hand you your equipment. But for now, rest. I can tell you haven't gotten any sleep whatsoever."

Fancy that last statement coming from her.

"Alright, but you don't look so good either."

Faron muttered something incomprehensible, most likely about how he had the nerve say what he had.

Eventually Faron left to call off the search party, and Link tried to get some sleep. There he lay, by the Tree of Life, moon gently glowing through the skylight, barely touching his face.

Owlan had fallen asleep long ago, so there was nobody to talk to about his troubles. He had to get to Zelda; he had to bring her back. She was all he had. He rolled over to his side, staring at the wall.

He wondered how long ago it had really been; at some point they must have lost track. Three years... Yeah, fat chance. More like six since the destruction of Demise. Or maybe even seven. Who knew how long they spent down there in those dungeons, at the mercy of the demon king. The same demon king who took Zelda.

He was trying so hard to fall asleep so he could wake up refreshed the next day, but whether it be minutes or hours that he slept, he felt more awake than ever. Deciding he couldn't take it any longer, he got up and went to the smaller goddess statue that stood inside the temple.

He fell to his knees and prayed, prayed that there were other survivors, prayed for his strength, prayed for Zelda, and prayed for all the inhabitants of the surface world. His eyes grew red and a few tears spilled forth, but at least he wasn't in a sobbing fit.

After his prayers, he walked back out into the courtyard. He looked up at the clear night sky, silently pleading to the gods that what he was about to do would work, although he had little faith it would, not after goodness knows how long.

A shrill, mournful whistle resounded through the air. Nothing came in response. No flapping of wings, no cheerful squawk; just the silence and the moon gleaming upon him. It might as well just fall down on him right then and there.

He paced back and forth about the courtyard, recalling the time he won the wing ceremony, how he caught Zelda and how they flew up to the goddess statue. He remembered all the times she'd pushed him off the edge. Back then those were his worst problems, aside from Groose and waking up too late for breakfast.

He looked at the gaping passage to the interior of the statue and decided, for the first time in years, to enter.

It was all there, just like he remembered it. A mysterious golden light shining down on the now empty pedestal, painfully reminding him of Fi, the stone tablets that he and Fi used to break the cloud barrier and descend to the surface, goddess' crest above the case. There was no sign of decay anywhere. No ivy crawling up the walls or cracks in the stone; it were as though time had no effect here.

He lay down beside the pedestal, imagining Fi telling him about all the obvious things; while it could be a bit repetitive at times, he would give so much just to have her do it again.

Link closed his eyes, and tried to picture the scene. He imagined that the stone beneath him was a mattress covered with a quilt, that instead of a bright light piercing through his eyelids there was a dim one–just barely there.

He could hear her calling out to him beyond the door, faint ghostly whispers. He got off his bed, and slowly made his way to the door. He reached out for the handle, and there she was. There she was.

Fi floated up the academy stairs with grace, a trail of light behind her. Link eagerly made his way up. As soon as he got close, Fi drifted further away. There was a small smile dancing on her lips. A playful one.

She passed through the door like it was water, leaving small ripples in her wake. Link opened the door, and slid out into the open air. This time, there were no torches; Fi was the only light. Fi was his guide. He followed her along the precipice that lead to the back of the goddess statue.

There weren't any monsters, not even Mia. As he made his way to the courtyard, he noticed the entrance to the goddess statue was already open. Fi slid into the passage, beckoned him to follow, and floated into the darkness.

When he emerged into the room, he saw the complete Master Sword sitting in the pedestal. Fi was simply floating above it. For a moment, they just looked at one another.

"It has been a long time, Link," she said.

Link nodded, unable to form words. This was just a dream, it wasn't like he was actually seeing her again after all these years.

"Do you not trust what you see?"

She lowered herself onto the ground and walked toward him. He had never seen her walk before; it was rather unsettling. When she was barely a foot away from him, a hand emerged from the cloak. With no arm attached, it floated up to Link's face, cupping the left side of his face.

"Does this not feel, real?" she said as her thumb gently brushed over where his eyebrow should have been. Link shuddered slightly at the feel of cool metal over such sensitive skin.

"If this is real, then why didn't you come to me in the cell, when Ghirahim was ripping me apart? Why didn't you come when Zelda had been completely numb for the entire month after our escape?" He tried to remove her hand, but couldn't motivate himself to. His voice lowered to a whisper. "Where were you, when I considered ending it all?"

Fi pulled him in, wrapping him in her cape-arms, or what her had though were arms. She planted a kiss on his forehead, as her hand felt his left ear.

He opened his eyes, and looked at her face. She looked so sad, so...

Guilty.

He realized that she wasn't there, because she couldn't be.

"I'm sorry," she said, barely above a whisper. "I believe what I feel, is what you call regret. Regret that I couldn't be of any use to you, Master."

"It's fine, you were meant have your rest anyways," he said, resting head on her shoulder.

"Then I must have gotten a little insomniac." She gave what sounded like a small chuckle. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "I know that you must find Zelda, and so I shall give you a gift; a gift that you and you alone shall possess."

She raised her hand up to his left eye, gently hovering over it.

"Close your eyes."

Link closed his eyes, and for a second all was black. Then there was a soft violet glow that pierced the darkness. He could feel a throbbing in his eye, and it was getting stronger and stronger with each passing second.

"Please, only a little longer."

His eyelids were glowing with violet. It was so bright that he was beginning to see his veins. He was struggling not to open them. Then, she lowered her hand.

"You can open them now."

And just like that, the throbbing was gone.

"I have given you the ability to dowse. Just close your right eye, focus your mind on a particular person or object, and scan your vision. The throbbing will get more intense as you look in the target's direction."

Link bit his chapped lips. Dowsing, probably the best thing he could have gotten seeing as he didn't even know where to start looking for Zelda.

"I suggest you test it when you wake up, as there will be tangible objects to target."

"I... I don't know what to say," Link said. "You have no idea how much of a life-saver this is. Thank you, Fi, I mean it!"

"My pleasure, Master." She smiled, motioning toward the entrance. "I suggest you go through the exit and awaken. The longer Zelda is in the hands of the demon king, the lower the likelihood of your success."

Link turned heel and made his way to the entrance. He turned to face Fi one last time, and nodded. She gave a light smile.

"You know, even though you could be little bit much at times, I'll miss you." Fi was never one to judge; it was just so easy to vent to her all his troubles. She had seen everything he'd been through. It wasn't easy just leaving her behind.

"And I you, but my duty ended seven years ago. I too need my rest, I can't stay awake forever. Just know that I'll never forget the memories we shared, and that I wish the best for you."

Link gave her one last smile, and turned away from her for the last time. As he made his way to the light at the tunnel's end, he uttered:

"Thank you."

* * *

Link awoke to the holy light shining above the pedestal pouring down upon his face.

He took some time to just lie there, thinking about Fi. He closed his right eye, leaving open his left as Fi had instructed him to, and could see a faint purple bordering his vision. Time to test it. He sensed a small, instinctual feeling in the back of his mind, telling him what to do.

Link got up; there was a small throbbing sensation whenever he looked in the direction of the passageway. He made his way out, and began to look around, the throbbing growing stronger when he looked in the direction of the temple, as expected. He also noticed the purple in his vision intensified the closer he was to his target.

Once inside the temple he looked toward the Tree of Life and drew closer. By this point the throbbing had become nearly unbearable and his vision consumed by purple.

He poked his head around the trunk of the tree, and saw Machi sleeping, or at least what appeared to be sleeping.

He opened his other eye and the throbbing was gone. While dowsing was rather straightforward, it wasn't the most comfortable experience.

He noticed that Owlan and the rest of the Kikwis weren't present, probably strolling out in Faron Woods. Ever since the storm died down, the weather had been really good so far.

Link cocked his head to the temple entrance. Faron was there to pick him up. When they had arrived at the temple, Faron set him on the doorstep.

"Wash yourself, but don't take too long. The longer we wait, the less of a chance the spirit maiden is found."

Link nodded and went inside. The room was lit with a divine-looking glow; the lily pads on crystal-clear water and the statue of an unknown deity stood in the centre as he had remembered.

He undressed and slowly lowered himself into the water. He wondered how many tales there were that had been lost to the sands of time, and if they would make the reason of certain occurrences any clearer. He dunked his head in the water, washing himself thoroughly. He saw all the dirt, dried blood, and other gunk come off, and yet it never seemed to taint the pure water.

He rose up to the surface once more, looking at his reflection once the ripples had calmed down. Feeling along the left side of his face, he felt around his eye. He could see was slightly more purple through his left eye than the other, but it wasn't all too prominent. He closed his right eye and saw that the scarred dents in his skin began to light up in a violet hue. When he opened the other eye, however, they were gone.

He took some time to just relax in the pool, knowing fully well that he'd have no time for that once he was off on his search for Zelda. This was probably the last wash he'd have in a long time.

And then what Faron said about being quick hit him, and he hastily left the pool.

He dried off, put on his old, smelly and very dirty clothes and rushed out of the cistern. When he had come outside he saw Faron waiting for him, and, with her, his new supplies.

"Well," she said, half-lidding her eyes, "you took your time, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry–but it was so nice!"

"Whatever you say, now take a look at your equipment."

She handed him the bundle, and he began to lay out all its contents.

There was a set of clothes that looked like the ones he once wore, but upon closer inspection it was clear they were of a higher quality. His hands tugged at the hem of the shirt; even though they clearly weren't his original clothes, they still held a strange familiarity.

He noticed the bow, made of a strong, fine wood with silver accents. He picked it up, closed an eye and pulled back the string. He had right-eye dominance, so he didn't have the issue of purple filling his vision along with that bothersome throbbing distracting him. It stretched back with ease, but felt nice and firm. He let go, and the string snapped back in place.

He put the bow down, and looked at the sword.

For a moment he thought it was the Master Sword, but when he picked it up, it didn't have that same, almost alive, buzzing sort of feel to it.

It just felt like his training sword: dead, cold steel. It fit perfectly in his hand, but everything still felt wrong. It was the perfect length, the perfect width, the perfect weight, but still it was just an object. Just a tool.

"Is everything alright, hero?"

"I'm fine, it's just..."

"Doesn't feel the same? I understand, I imagined that after all this time you'd have gotten attached." In an unexpected gesture, she gently ruffled his hair.

Link was rather taken aback, but eventually he eased himself and gently closed his eyes.

"I understand, hero, I understand..." There was a hint of sorrow in her tone, and it had a sense sentimentality in it too. It left Link to wonder what the water dragon had experienced from all these years, what scars she bore.

She retracted her hand and nudged the shield toward him.

Link expected to see yet another imitation, but upon closer inspection it was clear this was no dupe. Those were the same scratches, especially the dents where Demise had jabbed his sword. He quickly pulled the shield tight to his chest upon realisation. He never thought he'd see the day where he'd be hugging a shield, but here he was: hugging a shield. This was the only thing left from his journey that hadn't gone missing or been destroyed, now that he had lost the clawshots.

He snapped his head up at Faron, smile on her face.

"How... how did you find it?" he asked, eager to know the details.

"For a few days, weeks before you were found, I was checking about the town ruins, feeling remorse over my inability to have prevented–" She stopped mid-sentence, trying to recollect herself. It was clear she felt shame over not being able to prevent the attack that day, nor the attack that happened the day after–and they had been so close to her domain.

"So, while checking over, a bright gleam caught my eye. At first I thought that some foolish monster had attempted to draw its weapon on me, but when I focused... I noticed it was the sacred shield that Lanayru had bestowed upon you. I thought it'd be best to take it into my care, just in case I needed to give it to someone."

"Wow..." Link had not much else to say, he was never really too good with words anyway.

"I suggest you quickly enter the temple and put on your clothes."

He snatched up his clothing and obeyed, taking his shield for good measure. He wasn't letting it out of his sight after just getting it back.

Shortly afterwards, he emerged from the depths.

Here he was, spitting image of the hero of legend. He looked strong and stoic, like he could take anything and still get back up. His scars made him look quite intimidating; they were proof that he had been through hell and came out on the other side. It really was quite remarkable.

He secured the belt that supported his blade's sheath, hung the shield over his back before unstringing the bow, placing it in its case before tucking it away in his pack.

"So, when am I gonna go?" He exhaled, pacing back and forth along the patio.

"Well, where do you plan to start the search?"

Now came the tricky part; how was he going to explain that vision he had of Fi giving him the ability?

"Well, last night I had this vision"–that ended up sounding more awkward than he intended–"and...there was Fi. She was the sword spirit, you remember?"

"I am quite aware of her capabilities. Did she give you something to aid you?" She cocked her head to the side, intrigued.

"Yep, dowsing!" At least it seemed she knew more or less the extent of Fi's powers.

"You know, the only way that could have happened"–she nodded her head, a slight smile appearing on her face–"was if, Zelda, goddess incarnate herself, prayed for something to guide you."

"Which means..." Link's eyes widened as he came to the conclusion.

"Zelda is alive."

Link began to shake uncontrollably with sheer joy. She was alive, she was alive, and if she was alive, then he could bring her back!

"You see, Fi was made to be of assistance to you. Even though she sleeps deep in that blade, with a little push from Zelda herself, she was able to manifest in your dream, giving her the opportunity to bestow her blessing."

He closed his right eye, and while the throbbing was almost nonexistent and his vision was practically crystal clear, there was still something. He explored the very edges of his vision, sometimes stepping slightly closer in a direction to see if the throbbing became more noticeable. It seemed like it was steering him in the direction of the north, where the Eldin Province resided.

"Looks like he's keeping her in either Eldin or beyond..." he murmured, not completely sure.

"Makes sense, demons were creatures of Din."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard. Unfortunately, they possessed only pure power and nothing else. No wisdom, no courage, just pure power, and a strong lust for it." she sounded bitter and hateful about the whole ordeal. "They caused a good deal of pain. They were the ones to suck Lanayru dry even before the Great War."

As baffling as it was at first, it actually made a lot of sense the more he thought about it. Demise appeared volcanic and fiery, just like most portrayals of Din. It made sense why they were the only ones to actually cause large-scale conflict; they knew power and nothing else. It was quite a shame really. This was how they were made, without being able to comprehend anything different.

"At some point they had to be sealed away beneath the earth, but that only provided temporary solace."

He nodded with a grim expression. After a short silence of hearing the wind in the trees, the chirping of birds and watching the clouds flying overhead, Link spoke up.

"How long do you think it'll take me to get to Eldin on foot?"

"Long time boy, long time. At the very least a couple of weeks to a month; may or may not be longer."

"Can I say goodbye to Owlan before I go? I feel like he'd be hurt if I went without a word."

"That would be advised."

Faron picked him up, and flew toward the Temple of Time. Link was happy to see a beaming Owlan planting flowers in the courtyard, surrounded by Kikwis of course.

"Why hello there, Link," he chirped. "We've been out and about during this marvelous weather, and I must say, the late spring has brought us plenty of flowers!"

"I can see that!" Link couldn't keep himself from smiling; it was so nice actually seeing someone being cheerful in this grim situation.

"Although I must say, the loss of my finger made things a bit trickier, but I think I'll adapt." He raised his hand, giving the stump where a finger should've been a rather disgruntled facial expression.

"Hey, um, I know we only found each other yesterday, but–"

"...You have to go search for Zelda?"

"Yup." Link swayed his arms by his side, pulling slightly on his lower lip.

"Well"–he raised both brows–"while I am a little sad you have to leave so soon, the sooner you find her the better. Can't have that nasty blight keeping her!"

Link lowered himself down to the instructor's level and wrapped himself around him.

"Please, please do take care, I can't bear to lose another student."

"I'll try." The hero pulled himself away. "And don't go picking any nasty plants, especially the ones with teeth. You know how that ended last time."

"Oh come on, they're so interesting!" he laughed.

Link got up, and began to head for the temple doors.

"May the Goddess be with you, Link. Especially when you return."

Link looked at Owlan one last time.

"I hope."


	3. III

It had been three days since he left the central woods. And despite being so far from the centre where the raids happened, there was a noticeable lack of monsters. Every now and then Link would dowse to ensure that he was going in the right direction, and so far it seemed like he was right on track.

He had been walking for what seemed like hours, but it was an enjoyable walk. The woods were really such a sight, and the trees were particularly tall but evenly spaced apart so that, even though they covered a majority of the canopy, they weren't very dense and let the sun in, filtering it green. It was high noon and the sun was at its zenith.

Link was grateful he wasn't in the middle of Lanayru Desert, especially at this time of day. A refreshing cool breeze made its way through the forest, causing the leaves above to gently sway.

Link walked on and on and on, and at some point came across a spring. He was thirsty and his legs were hurting, so he threw off his things and took in the water, swallowing deeply. He filled his skins and was about to be on his way, when he saw, relatively close by, a camp of monsters in among the trees, few little tents nearby. He positioned himself and his belongings behind a large tree.

He poked his head around the trunk and observed. There were a lot of them, about fifteen Bokoblins, five Moblins and two Lizalfos. What struck Link as odd was that usually Lizalfos were never seen in camps with other, lower-ranking species. They always seemed to be the elite, aloof type. Maybe this was a rebel group of some sort. They didn't seem to have the same garb as others of their kind; it seemed natural that with a new king in place, especially one as cruel as Ghirahim, that there'd be resistance. Regardless of their allegiance, they still posed a threat.

When he looked at them, he could see them chattering and laughing, preparing food like any human group. Memories of those times he had led the patrols, the raids. When he had killed the lot of them during the storm, their bodies surrounding him, their blood on his blade. Creatures that had been considered beasts, simply communicating like any group of people.

Link grew uncomfortable knowing he'd gone out of his way to kill so many, even though it was for the safety of his people.

As quietly as he could, Link put on his pack and went as far off to the side as he could before moving forward in his journey. He wouldn't have stood much of a chance anyway, seeing as he was relatively out of practise fighting these creatures and that bruise on his side still gave him trouble.

On and on he went, until what little he could see of the sky above had started to darken, and the sun far ahead in between the trees turned from white to golden-yellow as it began to dip below the horizon. The birds were singing their sunset song, and the breeze got even cooler; Link needed to find shelter.

He looked around desperately for any place he could hide. Off in the distance he could hear the monster camp screaming loudly. He snapped his head in their direction.

He had been spotted.

Stumbling through the undergrowth, tearing through the trees, Link scrambled to get away as fast as he could. He heard an arrow whizz by him, and another. He darted from side-to-side to avoid the continuous barrage of arrows shot at him. Luckily for him Bokoblins were not fast runners; he just needed to make sure he didn't run out of stamina. Although he had gone quite far, it seemed the party was persistent. Now that he thought about it, why did he manage to encounter them all the way out here? It seemed apparent that they had made camp–was this even the same party? Seeing as it was so far away from the centre it was plausible that there were others; he had just gotten too used to the idea of a silent wood. He ran and ran and–

Tumbled right into the middle of another camp.

The monsters stared dumbfounded at him, and he at them. One Lizalfos was in the middle of biting a chunk of meat. It was an awkward moment: the sounds of the other party screaming in the distance, the monsters really not knowing what to think of the petrified little man in the middle of their camp, and that Lizalfos slowly tearing that chunk of meat. It nervously looked around as it, excruciatingly slow, chewed its food. Link gingerly raised himself off the ground, many monster eyes following him, and slowly retreated into the woods.

He could hear beastly laughter shortly after.

Link closed his eye and dowsed to make sure he was going in the right direction. He wasn't. Link was tired, his legs hurt and he was in the middle of the woods. At least he wasn't in Lanayru! Despite his fatigue, the hero continued on, praying to the goddesses that shelter would soon be within his grasp.

By their will, he came upon a cave. He briefly checked it for any kind of creatures before throwing off his pack, tossing his sword and shield on the cold stone ground before practically throwing himself down to rest.

His long journey had given him many things, and being able to fall asleep on hard stone was one.

He lay there, on the brink of drifting off but not quite. The cries had died down now, and all he was left with was the silence.

He didn't know how off-track he was from Eldin, but he hoped not too far. Tomorrow was to be yet another day of walking through the forest, and he had the mind to be more cautious. He wondered how Zelda was doing; she was alive that's for sure, but what was the demon king doing to her? Was she locked away in a dungeon, tortured day and night, or even being prepared for...

He said he'd kill her.

Which meant Link had to avoid any setbacks. A few hours eventually could translate to a few days, and days were enough to slow him down considerably. But then why hadn't he done it yet? Was he waiting for Link? If he was, Link would have to be careful about being spotted; he needed the element of surprise.

Link would save her. No matter what. He would see her smile, see her laugh. He would see the day they didn't have to hide anymore. He would see him build a family with her, and he wasn't about to let some demon with a thirst for revenge take it away.

He slowly drifted off, and he could hear her voice, Zelda's voice, calling him into the dream.

* * *

On the Isle of the Goddess in the centre of the courtyard she stood. She was so much younger, and so much happier. He would give anything to see her like that again. Harp in her hand, she began to pluck at the strings.

"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the Goddess..."

She was a fairer goddess than any he had imagined.

"Unite earth"–he could watch her play for hours–"and sky..."

She played on and on, every single verse she knew by heart, every single verse he had grown to love, until she was brought back to the beginning.

"Oh youth... guided... by the... servant..."

That gorgeous, gorgeous melody that was the very base of his journey told the very reason he was here.

"unite... earth... and..."

His purpose wasn't just to defeat evil, it was to unite the land, to make it whole once more.

"...sky."

That was what made him a hero.

And at last, she swerved to face him.

"It's a pretty instrument, don't you think?" He could feel the serenity radiating from her; it was such a nice change from all the running about and panicking they had gone through.

"Mmhm, but what good is it if there isn't a talented person to play it, someone like..."

A light blush danced upon her lovely little face, as she put a hand to her breast.

"Why, sleepyhead!"

He walked up to her, reaching for her hand. They stood there, holding hands, gazing into each other's eyes. No words could describe what Link felt as he saw her smiling, the person he loved most, holding her hand as he gently gazed into those sky-blue eyes. She cupped his face in her hand and leaned in for a kiss.

It was deep, but gentle. He could feel her warmth, he could feel her soft, soft lips on his. They were in a gentle, intimate embrace, just enjoying the kiss. It wasn't particularly intense like some other sessions they had, but it was intimate. It made Link feel safe. It made Link feel loved. And there wasn't a better love than the one he shared with Zelda.

Slowly their lips detached, and they opened their eyes once more. Pressing their foreheads against each other, they nuzzled their noses together, eyes lidding once more. There was no other place he would rather be. He couldn't love anybody like this but her. This was their unique connection, their destiny.

"Link... I miss you so, so much..." She was on the verge of tears.

"It's okay, I... I'll be there!"

"Please be careful, take all the time you need, just please be careful. I'll wait."

She brushed the hair out of his face, and gently felt his face, currently free of the scars their adversary had given him.

"Huh, we really have changed," she whispered.

"Everything has."

"I'm sorry this–"

"No, don't be sorry. It's not your fault some son of a"–he had to stop himself from ruining the moment with coarse language–"it's not your fault he did this, that he took you away. Everything would have been easier if not for him."

"But I feel so bad about having to use you!"

"Hylia chose somebody who wouldn't quit, somebody who could take a beating and get up, all for the girl he loves. She chose somebody who could love, and I love you. I always have and I always will."

"Can't get out of bed yet you manage to get out all these words, sleepyhead."

"Well, who fell asleep in a crystal for thousands of years?" He smirked, raising a brow.

Zelda mock-slapped him, then kissed him on the cheek.

"It was so Mister Nasty couldn't revive the Avocado monster!" She was grinning widely, tugging at said cheek.

In time, they stepped back a little, but their hands were still connected.

A loud metallic crash ruined it all.

There he was, in his previous form before Demise' fall, tossing Zelda over his shoulder.

"This is all so very touching." He was staring down at Link contemptuously, frown on his face. "But I'm afraid the little goddess has to wake up now, isn't that right, deary?"

"Five... more... minutes..."

He could tell by her voice echoing loudly across the realm that she was about to wake up.

"Tsk tsk, you're already late."

"Late?!" Link cried

"It's seven-fifty, skychild, seven-fifty– Oh, right, you've got to wake up early so you can save her, ah yes!"

He snatched Link up by the hem of his shirt, lifting him two feet into the air. He feigned a piteous look, pouting his lip a little before smashing Link to the ground.

"If you'll excuse me, we'll be off,"

Link made a meager attempt at dragging Zelda off his shoulder, but all he heard was a sharp metallic chime and him hitting the ground.

Even in his dreams he couldn't protect her. At least he got to spend some time with her. He lay there, the lyrics of the Ballad of the Goddess repeating themselves in his head, filling up the realm.

"Unite earth and sky."

And that he did; all he needed to do now was unite him and Zelda in that ceremony.

Link slowly opened his eyes. He slowly eased himself up against the cave wall. He would save her. He would feel her kiss for real.


	4. IV

Link broke his fast on his bread and meat before setting out to Eldin once more. He set out to Eldin once more. He could only hope he hadn't strayed too far off-course when he'd been chased. At some point the trees started to get thinner and thinner, the grass longer and drier, and before long he was on a vast plain with very few trees spaced far apart. He spotted more monster camps far off in the distance; just great. He could only hope he wasn't too out of practise with his sword.

The hero drew a deep breath. The weather was so hot and it was only mid-to-late spring; the sun-bleached grass whipping his garments. Despite the volcano residing many miles away, it was still strong and intimidating, dominating the landscape. The land was smooth where Link was, but the closer one got to the volcano the more hilly and rocky the terrain became.

Standing around here and looking at the scenery wasn't going to save Zelda.

Link began his trek once more, picking up pace. Around this time it was high noon and the heat was becoming increasingly unbearable. Link dropped his pack midway through walking and fell to the ground, panting heavily. He tore off his hat and tunic, leaving him in his heavy chainmail armour and under that some padding, and under that his light undershirt. He tore off the chainmail, the padding and undershirt, leaving his sweaty chest bare.

At least it wasn't Lanayru.

He dug through his pack, searching for one of the skins. He pulled one out and downed about half of its contents. He was tempted to pour some onto his forehead, but he had to save it for the rest of the journey, Eldin in particular. There he lay, on the dry scratchy grass, sweating all over. He so greatly wanted to take a nap, but he had to save Zelda.

"Alright then... up I get!" Link slowly, and hesitantly, lifted himself off the ground. Just then a nice, cool breeze swept through his dirty-blonde hair and over his skin, giving Link enough motivation to continue, at least for a while longer.

He grabbed his things, stuffing them away in his pack. It didn't matter if they provided extra protection against the monsters; with all this heat about he'd faint before he got the chance to defend himself.

The hero continued to endure the heat, and as he did, he thought about what life was like before.

* * *

Groose was practically dragging Link along, eager to show him his latest contraption.

"Hey–you're going to rip my arm off!"

"Can't help it. This might just be the best thing since pumpkin soup!"

Groose' workshop was on a high hill that had a cliff hanging over a large valley, and it was a good way from the town. Considering all the...stuff that could happen, it was for the best that he resided this far away. But being dragged by the arm at six-thirty in the morning without having any breakfast wasn't great at all, especially for good ol' sleepyhead. At last they had reached the top, and Link slumped his shoulders, trying to regain his breath. He noticed a track running to the cliff.

"Alright, so what'd you wanna show me so bad you nearly ripped my arm off?"

The redhead took his hand and lead him to the garage.

Link's heart missed a beat.

"This."

Groose was proudly grinning from ear-to-ear as he showed Link around.

The machine had wide wings like a bird, a torpedo-shaped body and little wheels to help it land. It had numerous propellers including a large one on the front. The machine was huge, and it looked like it was made for...

"Can it fly?" Link asked, his eyes glued to the vehicle.

"You bet!" Groose hurried Link into the passenger seat. Link gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you sure we won't crash?"

"Yeah, man, been flying her around a bit–she works like a dream!"

Now that he thought about it, he had seen something flying around the workshop.

They put on their googles and secured the straps. Groose surveyed Link one more time, just to make sure he was ready. Link gave thumbs up. It was time. The vehicle began to power up, and it slowly began to move along the track. It began to build up more and more speed as they approached the cliff. Link was starting to get tense. What would happen if Groose misjudged the timing? They got closer and closer to the edge, faster and faster, until–

The ground was no longer beneath them, but they weren't falling.

Link had definitely flown before, he flew a lot, actually, but using a machine–how?

The blue expanse was around them in all directions, the chilly morning air whipped their faces, and the world below continued to shrink. Groose gave a hearty laugh, and Link was absolutely speechless at the man's feat.

"H-how?" Link had no idea how many times he had thought or said the word "how," but it was the only thing he could begin to ask.

"I dunno how to explain it. Ever since that time you first beat that ugly mug, I had a feeling that I wasn't meant to be the big hero, but I knew I wanted to do whatever I could. I just had this calling." The redhead had drifted off into a trance. He was still careful with piloting the aircraft, but Link could tell his mind was occupied with something else. "Granny... if she hadn't been there, I'd probably still be the same person I was when I first came down." Groose's eyes were starting get glassy.

"I just...wish she was here to see this," he choked. "...I wonder what she would think of me; would she be proud?"

"She would, Groose. She would." Link gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

They flew around for a while more before returning to the workshop. They had their breakfast: pumpkin soup, as usual.

"Is it okay if I ask you...?" Link was in the middle of dipping his spoon into his soup.

"Yeah sure, go ahead."

"We have Loftwings; why would we need a machine to help us fly? Don't get me wrong, that back there was fantastic!"–Link gave a small chuckle–"but why?"

Groose took a spoonful of the soup before responding. "Ya see, Link, the Loftwings were made to protect us, to be our guardians. And since we lived in the sky, they took the form of birds. Since we now live down here in Grooseland"–he still jokingly called it that, despite knowing that he was no king of the Surface–"either they'll become something else, seeing as flight isn't really needed or..."

His face fell, and Link's did too. That second possibility was what kept them awake some nights, whether their companions would leave them. It was common knowledge that when the owner died or approached death, the bird was nowhere to be found. They hoped this was the way things would stay.

Hoped. Hope wasn't going to change whatever plans the goddess had for them. Were they just like Fi, tossed aside or put to rest when their purpose had been fulfilled? Everybody knew Link and his Loftwing shared an unbreakable bond, and he had already dealt with the "passing" of Fi.

There was the sound of somebody knocking on the door, which Groose got up to answer.

"Hey, sleepyhead's awake before nine–what a sight!"

"Morning, Zelda."

The goddess reborn had a rolled-up map, plan or something under her arm. They cleared the table and she set it down. It was one of the plans for a possible town square or plaza, and, while this was still a work-in-progress, it was already looking good.

"Think Gondo's gonna go here–"

"Nope, he said he wanted to be more down one of the streets, seeing as this is more of a market area."

"Ah, okay. So do we know who will be here?"

"Probably Piper, and maybe Luv and Bertie. Dunno, no one's really settled on who's going where yet."

The rest of the morning was spent considering what went where, at some point Karane and Pippit popped in and joined in the discussion. At around two they concluded their meeting.

* * *

The hour had grown late. Link took refuge for the night in one of the sparse trees. It had a good amount of branches and was of a decent size; tall enough so that he wouldn't get attacked by any beast or monster, but short enough so that if he fell it wouldn't be fatal. He had bound himself to the trunk with a rope so he wouldn't fall in his sleep.

Yet for some reason, he just couldn't sleep. Well, it wasn't just some reason.

He closed his eyes again. There they were: the visions, the screams of his people. Zelda's guilt-ridden face. Groose'sscreams as his soul was torn from his body and tempered into that blade. The touch of that cruel hand searing his face.

He opened his eyes again.

For some reason his eye was throbbing hard but he couldn't feel Zelda's presence. The throbbing was beckoning him toward a camp out wide in the open. There was no way in the blue sky he was going there, and yet the throbbing didn't seem evil or malevolent; he knew what that felt like. It wasn't tempting, but it seemed urgent. He waited to see if it would go away, but over time it only got stronger.

Link's hands reached for the rope around his waist.

Was he really going to do this?

He had become so cautious ever since that day, avoiding every source of conflict he could. When he was younger he would jump into anything with no thought of the consequences; that's why the goddess chose him.

It was high time he became a little more audacious.

He grabbed his stuff, clambered down the tree and headed toward the camp. He began to feel uneasy, but he carried on. He began to count the number of monsters he saw as he got closer, a habit he had picked up on his journey.

Seven bokoblins. Three lizalfos. Two moblins.

He repeated this in his head; partially because it was good to remember how many he might have to deal with in case this wasn't such a good idea, partially because it gave him something to think about other than the impending dread.

Two spears. Two bows. Five clubs.

Only three metres to go. So close.

Link crouched down in the tall grass, slowly creeping.

What had he gotten himself into? The throbbing was still strong.

Only two metres to go. He decided to get up, as creeping along the ground wasn't exactly the best way to introduce yourself.

All twenty-four eyes were on him.

He stopped for a second. None of them were getting up to do anything about him. He walked into the clearing that was covered by a small ledge, and gingerly sat down amongst them. None of them were wearing the traditional kind of clothes he would normally see them in, which seemed customary, so aside from them having lizalfos hanging around and camping in the middle of nowhere- yet another sign that they weren't with Ghirahim.

There was just silence.

Link wondered how many of them had relatives killed by him.

"...You are...hero?"

Link turned his head to one of the moblins. It was obvious that he was struggling with the language.

Link nodded.

There was silence once more.

Link felt awkward; he never had any social interaction with any kind of monster before. He had always assumed they simply weren't capable of intelligible speech. He always saw them as being a bit brutish, but the fact that one of them took the effort to speak to Link in his own tongue proved otherwise.

"Going to Eldin?" the same moblin asked.

Link nodded again.

The group started to talk among themselves, most likely about him. There were clearly many objecting opinions and solutions to the matter, although it all kinda just sounded like a bunch of yelling. After a good row, the clamour died down as they came to a conclusion. The moblin turned once again to Link, as did the whole group.

"With us?"

"If it's alright with you."

The moblin smiled, and let out his hand.

"Grendel."

Link took it.

"Link."

* * *

The next day they set off for Eldin. There was a good amount of chattering among the group. Unfortunately, Link wasn't sure if anyone other than Grendel could speak his language. Why they let him come, he didn't know, especially since at least some of them seemed to have recognized him, but it was nice not being alone.

The planes were once again blazing hot, but none of his companions seemed bothered in the slightest. They were creatures of Din, after all. Unfortunately, far out here they ran in to a special kind of trouble. Flies. They were everywhere, buzzing and biting at any chance they could get, and they certainly bothered the monsters. The buzzing became extremely irritating for even the lizalfos, despite their tough scales protecting tried to pick up pace so that at least their suffering would be shorter.

Link was swatting flies left and right while getting bitten all the while. The bites were extremely itchy and caused little bumps on the skin. Oh the joys of mosquitoes; how he hated the little blights. He had to deal with them all the time in Lanayru and even on warmer days in Faron Woods. The terrain became rockier as they got closer to the volcano, proof that they were making some progress on this vast plane.

Once again he returned to the internal dilemma of whether or not to reach out to the rest of his companions, and, if so, how? Some of them were clearly objecting the idea of him tagging along the night prior, so maybe it was a sign they were only keeping him around for a bit and then were going to dump him off at the first opportunity they could... Which was...fine...

Honestly, Link wasn't even too sure how much Grendel could speak his tongue, or how easy miscommunication could be–

"You alright?"

Grendel had placed a large hand on his shoulder–it seemed like demons didn't have much in the form of personal space–looking a bit concerned.

"I just..." Link paused. "... Don't know how well I'll get along with everyone."

"Ya fine, don't worry."

*pagebreak*

That night there weren't as many mosquitoes as there had been during the day, but still some buzzed around the fire or around them, causing Link's ear to twitch from irritation.

They were eating whatever food they had packed. Link sat down right next to one of the lizalfos, who was chewing some dried fish. Everyone else was chatting except for Link whom, to be honest, was feeling a bit like an outcast. Not that he expected a bunch of monsters who let an enemy tag along to treat him like family, but still; he felt a bit strange. But then again it also felt a bit strange that he was tagging along with the very creatures he was originally meant to kill... It wasn't a pleasant thought.

He wondered if they would turn on him.

Even though he knew the idea was ridiculous, it still nagged him consistently.

He took a bite of his fruit and tried to brush the thought away. Eldin wasn't too far away now, so they wouldn't be together for much longer.

He wondered how Zelda would feel about the whole thing, especially considering she had Hylia's memories–and Hylia was a goddess efficient in monster killing.

Many times he considered straying off, but every time he made a resolve to do it, the throbbing would come and only go once he decided not to. After all, there were strength in numbers.

He also wondered when the last time was that he had a good wash. Well over a week by that point.

Eventually, everyone else either fell asleep or was falling asleep, except for him and Grendel, who was putting out the last of the fire. Link scooted a bit closer to the moblin.

"If it's alright with you–" Link paused, not knowing whether Grendel would take it all too well.

Grendel grunted, urging him to continue.

"What was it like...having Ghirahim as king? I know it can't be anything good, but I want to know."

The fire was out by then, leaving the two alone in the dark. Link could tell the question stirred many feelings inside his companion.

"...You want know?"

Link nodded eagerly. Grendel took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to speak.

From what Link could tell, apparently Ghirahim was very controlling–not too much of a surprise considering the encounter with him at the Earth Temple. He was very cruel, and and did what he wanted when he wanted, with no consideration for his people. Link had expected that from the demon. Although one thing seemed to stick out, even though, when he thought about it, it made perfect sense: Ghirahim had been starting wars with other clans.

For some reason Link had this idea that the demons were one unified, homogeneous group of brutes all fighting for a single cause, but considering they were a relatively advanced (if that's what we'll call it) race, of course there would have to be other tribes. After all, Ghirahim had only said he was demon lord of the Surface–he was probably only the king of it too, and, being the cocky self-important idiot he was, of course he would have started a war or two.

Grendel also mentioned that he lost some of his best friends during the war. It was all this loss that had finally convinced him to leave.

"Over, there's no future, it pointless. All they do is reach for a thing they can't have." his eyes met Link's. "Your friend, you have a future with her."

Link nodded and smiled.

"She's more than just my friend," Link smiled

The moblin smiled in return, and put his hand on Link's shoulder.

"I hope you find her."

* * *

The next day they finally reached Eldin. It was time for him to leave the group and be alone. Even though it had been a bit stressful at first, Link enjoyed being with them.

He shook Grendel's large hand for the last time and looked him in the eye.

"I hope you find your future," Link said.

"And you yours."

He never saw the group again after that. Even though little had happened, he had managed to take something away from that experience. But still, he wondered why his eye would lead him to the monster band. Was Fi or Hylia trying to show him what he had just learned?

But Fi herself was made for killing demons, and Hylia had created her–

Then again, it was only done because the race had been a threat to the world's very existence, and Hylia was doing what she had to. If this was the reasoning behind it, it made more sense to him now.


	5. V

**Finally, after months and months of editing, we finally have another chapter! Many, and I mean many thanks to my beta Mystic's Apprentice; you are honestly the best.**

* * *

Link made his way up the side of the mountain. The brown, dusty, barren earth, the smoldering lava down below, and the strong hot wind that had a faint smell of burning on the edge.

It had been ages since he'd felt this.

Link had never actually explored the volcano from this angle; he had been too busy trying to find Zelda for any of that. But to be honest, he was also too busy seeking her again to actually take that good of a look.

The path before him was narrow and winding as it went under ledges and into caves, before coming out the other side again. He dowsed every now and then to make sure he was on track, and that he was. Zelda's presence was also slightly stronger–not by too much, but it was something.

Zelda. Her aura filled Link with . . . he didn't know how to explain it, but it felt euphoric–if that was the only word he could use to describe it. He wanted to hold her in his arms once more. It was what kept him going.

* * *

Link had practically burst through the door. Zelda was in the middle of stirring a batter. She looked at him and sighed.

"Is knocking really that hard, sleepyhead?" Her tone carried a hint of playfulness.

"Well..." Link scratched the back of his head, eyes on the floor. "I mean, it's not every day we get to spend time like this."

Zelda shook her head, before walking over to Link and giving him a small kiss. It wasn't anything intense, but it was all he needed. They parted, and Zelda lead him to the kitchen quarters.

"Alright, seeing as you're here, wanna help bake these cookies?"

Link nodded eagerly. It had been ages since they had time together, no one else.

When Zelda had finished mixing, Link spooned portions onto the tray, finishing it off with some pumpkin seeds. They put it in the oven and sat back.

Zelda picked up her knitting needles and yarn and began to knit, Link resting his head on her lap. The birds tweeting outside. It was a serene moment, and it seemed to go on forever.

Occasionally Zelda put her needles down and ran her hand through Link's fluffy hair, smoothing it out, then continued.

Since the weather had been getting colder, they had to start planning things out. It was their second year down here, so they were still trying to get a grip on the timing, stocking up on food and clothing and the likes. Last year there had been an issue with not having made some type of shelter for the loftwings.

They hadn't known about winter for a long time, until Faron had mentioned it during one of her visits with Zelda.

For the most part, the townspeople had to keep the giant birds in their houses, the temple and the goddess statue. Those good three months had been very, very cramped. Fortunately, this time they had a coop for the birds to stay.

Zelda got up to check on the cookies, leaving Link curled up in the spot where she had been. After letting them sitting for a bit, she carried them over on a plate and set them on the coffee table in front of them. She passed Link a cookie before taking her own.

"Link, have you recently felt like... something's going to happen?" Zelda was fidgeting with the cookie in her hands, tone uneasy. "Like, something bad. I've been trying to put my mind on other matters, but it just won't go away."

"I've been feeling the same, it feels unsafe, kinda like that time when we flew across the clouds–the day you were taken." Link bit his lip, before taking another bit of his cookie.

They sat there in silence, allowing themselves to contemplate.

"Maybe it's just some of the residual stress we felt from the journey–but then if that's the case, why are we only feeling it now?"

"Maybe it was some of the stress from building the town that caused this?" Zelda suggested.

"Don't think so. Everything was actually going pretty smoothly with only few slip ups here and there. It feels more like an impending dread than anything, like something is out to get you."

Everything was perfect; Link and Zelda had recognized their feelings for each other, the town was making huge leaps in terms of progress, and monster sightings were less frequent... they should have no reason to feel apprehensive, but yet they were.

* * *

The path had been going underground for a long time now, and only seemed to go deeper; Link was starting to feel a bit skeptical. Nevertheless he carried on, reasoning that at some point it would lead back up to the surface.

But it only went deeper.

And deeper.

Link had just come to a crossroad. While the path on the left seemed to go higher and the right lower, for all he knew either could lead deeper into the mountain. Dowsing wasn't going to get him out of here; just because a route was in the general direction didn't mean it was going to get him up to the surface.

Just then, a goron emerged from the right-hand tunnel.

"Hey brother, you need some help?"

Link nodded. The goron walked toward him, stopping at about two feet away.

"So, where you tryna get?"

"The surface,"

"I'm afraid the tunnel's been closed off–been a bunch of monsters around here. One of my buds got a good shard cut off him by those creeps!"

He should have expected this. Fate had been too easy on him up until now.

"Well, is there another way?"

"Yeah, but it's a long way off and I'm not sure if it leads to where you're heading."

"I'm heading to the north; any chance it leads there?"

"Hmm, think so, but again: it's a long way from here. Think you're gonna try?" The goron scratched his head.

Link nodded. "Any directions you could give me?"

"Go forward, you will find a crossroad. Pick the one on the left. Continue going forward, and you will reach Goron City–there you can ask for directions and maybe have a place to stay."

"Thank you,"

"No problem bud!" The goron yelled as he rolled by.

As Link continued down his path, it grew hotter and hotter. Thankfully, there seemed to be some kind of ventilation to stop him from suffocating, but even then what little air he had felt thick and stuffy. His legs were getting tired and his throat was quite parched. Link took a sip from his flask, and carried on.

He arrived at the crossroads, and by this point it was so dark he had to light a lantern. He picked the tunnel on the left.

His heels began to ache, the arm that was carrying the lantern was starting tire and his eyelids were beginning to droop. And yet, after what Link could only assume to be hours in these dark tunnels, not once had he met another goron or seen any signs him approaching of Goron City.

Link began to wonder if the goron's directions had been correct.

After finally deciding to call it a day, Link settled down in a corner, putting his stuff beside him, and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

Sun bathed the paving laced with grass in its crevices, the faint sound of chatter in the distance, a huge tree overlooking their valley. Link was sitting on the lower-levels of the viewing platform alongside Groose. They were on break, but would have to go back to building more houses within an hour.

Groose was sketching all kinds of designs for the "planes." Some were more robust and others were sleek and streamlined. He had also picked up a book on loftwing movement, to study on how the birds kept themselves up in the air.

Link had spotted Stritch looking for bugs with one of the kids, Gully. Apparently having found one, the latter whooped in excitement. Stritch then told Gully about all the places where bugs hid, and how to find them and when to find them. Link chuckled at the sight. Looks like Stritch was going to have a little disciple following him around.

"Oi Link, you think this one'll have enough storage?" Groose waved the sketchpad in front of Link's face.

"Can't tell when you're waving it about like a madman!" Link said, taking hold of the sketchpad. "Eh, what can I say? Everything seems to be in order."

He handed Groose back his sketchpad, just as Zelda strolled up to them.

"Lemme guess, break's over?"

"Yep."

Link groaned, lifting himself off the ground. He picked up his tools and joined everyone else on a half-done villa. Zelda had said she planned for the building to be a school of some sort, seeing as the academy was the only one of its kind and not everybody would want to train for knighthood.

The process was going fine, until Groose had to climb up to place the tiles. He balanced on the beam, leaning over to smother concrete on the blank slate of a roof.

"Groose, you sure about that, buddy? You're a lot larger and heavier than most of the guys that do this," Pipit said.

"Pah! Nonsense–if anyone's fit for the job, it's Groose."

Link and few of the others promptly facepalmed. Groose, despite having changed a lot over the years, still had a cocky streak.

"Look man, how about I go up there and do it?"

"Pip I'm all good. See?" He leaned a little too much for Link's liking.

It happened all too soon. Either Groose misplaced his step or a tile had given way. Before anyone knew it, the burly man was on the ground. Link immediately ran up towards Groose.

"Hey, Groose–hey!" Link yelled. Groose was unresponsive. Link lifted up his head, only to feel something wet. Link pulled back his hand, his fingers drenched in the vile liquid.

It was black, pouring out of a fissure in his skull and dying both his hair and the grass beneath him a dark shade. Link's mouth was agape in horror. This was a sign of things to come.

* * *

Link was awoken by a rough scratching on the tunnel walls. He didn't know where it was coming from, but it freaked him out. Groggily sitting up, Link looked around for his lantern. It was so dark, so he could only feel for it. The sharp scratching, clicking sound seemed to echo a bit closer this time.

Link scrambled through his bag to find the oil and lighter, but his fingers only seemed to tangle together. He was getting frantic now, the clicking only seemed to get closer and closer.

Link promptly drew his sword and jabbed out in front of him, only for something to grab him from behind. Pincers jabbing into his sides, Link let out a yelp. He kicked the creature off and swerved around. Jabbing it somewhere that Link could only hope was a weak spot, and the creature let out a shriek.

Link closed in, getting a good feel with his sword before plunging the blade in what he assumed was the creature's mouth cavity. With a final piercing wail it fell still.

Link scrambled through the bag once more, finally having found the accursed oil and lighter. He got his lantern, poured in some of the oil and lit it. He could see around him now, the shadows bouncing off the wall, and the dead creature in front of him.

It was bug-like, and seemed to almost look like a strange mix between an enlarged Eldin-roller and a scorpion. Round, bulbous body with sharp pincers, eight slender legs and a small tail. Link hesitantly reached out and searched the body, hoping it'd have something of use. He pulled off the exoskeleton, wondering if this could be of use later on. Something spilled out of its guts, something shiny. Link grabbed it and cleaned it off with his shirt.

It was a ruby. From what he had gathered, they were quite rare and very valuable; not as precious as diamonds, but still, they were valuable.

Link tucked the gemstone away in his satchel. How the bug had come to swallow the ruby, Link didn't know. Maybe it fed off of them.

He reached into his pack and took out a small piece of meat and some stale bread. A meager meal, but Link wasn't feeling particularly peckish. He got up, the grogginess long gone, and continued to head down the tunnel. He kept his sword in hand–who knew what else could be down there. By that point it became so hot that Link was glad he'd kept the Fire-Shield earrings on all these years.

Link noticed that some weird, sinewy, vine-like structures started to appear along the wall. They only became more frequent and larger in number as he carried on. Link was seriously starting to doubt the accuracy of the goron's directions. A few moments later Link swore that he felt something were touching him, only to turn around to find nothing.

More than once he considered going back. But if this path was the right one, it'd be best he continue. As he continued, the creeping feeling only became stronger. The longer he spent down there, the more unsettled he became. It was very faint–and without a keen one, one might miss it–but Link knew this smell, this heavy feeling in the air.

Dark magic.

By this point, the dark, sinewy vines nearly covered all the walls in the tunnel. You could hardly see any bare stone by then. Upon closer inspection, the structures seemed to have... little eyes? Little glowing yellow eyes with slitted-pupils, like some kind of snake.

Was that vine...moving?

Link felt something grab his ankle as he swerved around to face it, slicing it off with his sword.

Apparently, these things were sentient. Link noticed that part of the ankle area of his boot seemed to have been eaten away by some kind of corrosive acid. He considered turning back once again, but whenever he tried, his eye would start throbbing almost painfully.

"If you insist," Link grumbled.

Link decided to do a little test. He grabbed a stick from his bag, and held it to the lantern's blaze. When there was a tiny little flame on the end of the stick, Link held it to one of the gooey organisms. A sharp hiss was emitted, as the flame charred the thing to a crisp.

If need be he could throw a torch at the structures to buy him some time to escape, should the need arise.

Link grabbed a stick from his bag, tied a hanky around the tip, and poured oil over it before igniting it. He waved the torch about at the formations, which seemed to respond by cringing away from the flame.

That'll do.

The hero made his way forth down the tunnel, waving his torch if anything got too close for comfort. Once or twice he had to burn a vine because it just wouldn't back off. Eventually, the tunnel had led to a large cavern.

It seemed like the vines converged into a center point in the cavern. They lead up the walls, hanging down from the ceiling in a grotesque display. And the lighting from Link's torch only made it even more ominous. He felt something brushing up against his skin, burning his cheek. Link immediately swung out his torch.

That's it, time to go!

Link swerved to face the entrance, only to see that the grotesque, slimy abominations had woven themselves tightly over it. Link dashed up, prepared to burn the vines away, only to be snatched up and find himself dangling from the ceiling.

Link swung his torch at the vine and it released him. He then frantically backed up against a wall, waving the torch wildly in front of him, only to find himself bound to the wall by said structures. The vines coursed over the left side of his face, causing Link to scream.

The memories. How that sick bastard threw him into the flames, burning him to a crisp like he once promised.

He tried to pull away, but those... things only held him tighter. When he looked ahead, he could have sworn he'd seen the face he dreaded most, only for him to blink and find it gone. There was no escaping this, he could barely move his shoulders. He was going to die–

The center point. All the vines converged into the center point.

Link lifted his arm, wincing as the acidic formations tried to engulf it, and threw the torch as far as he could.

It landed directly in the center of the cavern.

It was slow at first, but he could hear the telltale hiss of burning, as the vines presumably were cooked to a crisp. The vines a few feet away started to go limp and crackle, then burst into a deep purple dust. The vines' hold on him had also gotten weaker, and, as much as they tried to pull him back, Link managed to tear himself away, stumbling straight onto the ground.

Link let out a sigh of relief.

The crackling and hissing continued, and even though by that point the pungent smell of dark magic currently choked the air, it wouldn't for long.

Link reached out for his lantern that had dropped in the fray, clinging onto it like a lifeline. He picked up his pack, sword, and shield. Laying in a little heap on the stoney ground, Link cracked his left eye open just a little, and saw that the entrance was open again, a slight throbbing accompanying it. He closed his eyes again, his body consumed by fatigue, and slipped into slumber.

Hours later, Link awoke from the land of sleep. Rubbing his eyes, Link was reminded of the night before.

He prepared himself for departure, heaving himself off the hard ground. But as soon as he took few steps to the exit, the throbbing began once again. Link turned around to find a chest where the roots had been.

Turquoise-blue with golden accents, just like he'd remembered. Link sauntered over to it and lifted the lid. Right at the bottom of the chest was a whistle. A blue whistle with an odd shape.

Link held it in his hands, his fingers brushing over it. It felt... powerful. Link put the mouthpiece to his lips and played a tune. It was like he'd always known how to play it.

 _O youth guided, by the servant of the goddess,_

 _unite earth and sky,_

 _and bring light to the land._

He could feel the energy rushing through him like a storm. His eyes grew moist, and he was beginning to choke.

He remembered the first time he heard it, when Zelda showed him her outfit before anyone else. The day of the Wing Ceremony, where he proved himself worthy and stood on top of the goddess statue with her. That was the day she had first played it.

Ever since then, she'd played it many times over, even reciting verses that had been lost to the ages. He always associated the song with her–it seemed like it was made just for her, and no doubt, it was: it was called the Ballad of the Goddess, after all. Sure, there were people with strong, spectacular voices whom, one could say, sung it much better than her, but Link always felt like she really knew the song, the tone of it.

Which made it even worse when he played it, and she wasn't there.

He wiped his tears and tucked it away in his pouch. This would probably be of use later on.

Link took a look around the cavern, now that it was clean. The dais the chest was on had the symbol of the Triforce engraved into it, and there was a tall pillar placed in every corner of the room; some largely remained intact, but others were all but a pile of rubble on the ground.

All along the ancient walls were scripts in an ancient language that Link had seen a few times. Zelda said it was the language of the gods, and that only priests, Sheikah, and those that directly served Hylia could learn it. By the time of the ancient war, this language was essentially a secret code.

Link noticed an inscription on the wall, which seemed to form a pattern with various arrow shapes. They appeared to be notes to a song. He put his mouth to the flute, and began to play the tune to the best of his ability.

The song sounded almost mourning, longing. Sometimes Link could swear that some parts sounded like the Ballad of the Goddess. When he had finished playing it, a slate dropped off the wall, revealing a little crevice, and a book.

Link stuffed the flute away in his pouch and rushed up to the wall to take the book in his hand. It was old and weathered, but still well preserved from being hidden underground. He turned the first page, and as he half expected, it was in the language of the gods.

There were drawings depicting all sorts of locations, temples and what appeared to be deities of some sort.

A book that could hold, or lead to places that held, the answers to all his questions about his destiny, or why all this started in the first place–and yet, he couldn't learn any of this because the text was all in another language.

Link stuffed the book away in his pack before making his way to the entrance of the room. As he stepped out he heard a loud thud behind him. He turned around, and found that what had been the entrance to the room was now sealed off by a stone wall. If there was anything else in that room–which Link highly doubted–chances were that he'd be unable to get it.

Much to his surprise, Link saw that the tunnel actually had continued on from here. The formations covering every inch of the wall were likely the culprit to the tunnel's closure.

As Link carried on the path, lantern in hand, he remembered something Groose mentioned about the Sheikah: during his stay on the surface with Impa, Groose would listen to her speak of the Sheikah. She said that they constantly roamed the land, visiting sacred sights and protecting them from the shadows. She further added that they'd kept the evil at bay for a long time, before Ghirahim came out of hiding, that is.

Maybe, just maybe, he'd run into them. But seeing as his mission was to find Zelda, and they were masters of stealth, there was little chance that'd happen.

But a chance nonetheless.

* * *

 **I felt so, so guilty about not adding more within quicker notice- but I wanted the foundation of the story to be strong, as if it wasn't, everything else after that would simply fall flat. I am happy to say that I am satisfied with the earlier chapters, much in part to the criticism and guidance of Mystic.**

 **If you have any complaints, criticisms or things you may or may not like about the story, tell me. It can really help to know that I'm not writing into a void :)**


	6. VI

**Happy New Year's to y'all! I am so, so sorry this took even longer than usual. Going through a rut, yada yada, you've all heard it before. Anyhow, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **A little side note, though; I'll be using the names of pre-existing characters, as I don't want to come up with some god-awful name that'll bear no resemblance to the naming style of the series, so no need to worry about people that shouldn't be in the Skyward Era showing up- mostlikely a previous incarnation or ancestor.**

* * *

Link proceeded to carry down the tunnel when he reached a set of huge stone gates. If he was correct, this was most likely the entrance to Goron City, or at least one of them. There weren't any guards, and the gates were shut closed. Link could only imagine it had been due to the formations, which he dubbed Malice.

Still, he wondered how that goron from earlier had managed to get up there and give him the correct directions.

He knocked on the hard stone gates. The sound echoed around the chamber, bouncing off the hard walls and all the way back down the tunnel. He heard scrambling and someone shouting orders.

He heard the sound of heavy footsteps pacing right up to the gate.

"Who are ya, and how did'ya manage to make it down the tunnel?" a gruff voice inquired.

"I'm a traveller looking to go through the city and make it to the other side," Link answered.

The gates began to groan, and, as they parted, Link was awestruck at the sheer size of this clearly man-made cavern. The room had many open-plan levels, where you could see what people were selling, in addition to entries to tunnels. Judging by all the shops, smiths and other such buildings, this was most likely a trading hub of sorts.

The torchlight flared against his skin; the air was hot and heavy. Had Link not been wearing his Fire-Shield Earrings, he would have surely burst into flames right then and there.

The room seemed to be abuzz with chatter, with more gorons than he'd ever seen in his life all in one room. But all went silent as the newcomer entered into their midst. At his appearance some were surprised, others puzzled and some looked wary but none of them seemed to mean any harm.

Then the whole room broke into a series of debates. There were orders of "Move along, move along!", and the crowd parted in response. Standing few feet away from Link was a goron with a wild mane of silver hair, furrowed brows, and a considerable height and build for even his own kind, no doubt their chief.

"What brings you here, brother, and how did you get past all that goop?" he queried. Like all gorons, his voice was deep and gravelly, but carried that hint of warmth.

"Was looking for an exit on the other side," Link said. "And as for the goop, managed to find some old room where they all originated from."

"Alright, alright. If it's fine with you, how'd ya beat it?"

"Threw a torch at it."

The goron chief put his fist under his chin, listening intently. He rose up once more and nodded.

"Good. We've been having random growths of this ever since those creeps moved up here. They grow quickly, I might add; sometimes ya get entire tunnels blocked up in a few hours."

That probably explained why the goron's directions from earlier seemingly lead Link to a dead end.

"Anyhow, feel free to make yourself home, brother. Got plenty of room to spare."

And that they did. Goron City was a huge set of interconnected tunnels that served as streets, cave-houses, and mines all converging into a spacious cavern that was probably mined out by hand.

He extended a large rocky hand. Link offered his own in return.

"Name's Darunia, Chief of the Gorons."

"Link."

But Link had no mind to stay, no matter how spectacular this settlement was.

"I just need to get to the surface."

"M'fraid I can't do much about that. We've been having serious issues with goop blockin' up entire tunnels, and whatever ones that do manage to lead to the surface put ya right in the clutches of those creeps."

"Monsters won't be a problem for me, dealt with plenty of those during my time here."

Darunia was about to interject, when a familiar face came rolling from one of the burrows. He wasn't wearing his pack, nor did he have his map, but Link wouldn't be able to forget that face if he tried.

"Oi Link, my man, is that you?" Gorko looked ecstatic. He rolled through the crowd, knocking over a good few of his brethren before popping back up few feet away from Link.

Before Link could interject, he was scooped up in a traditional rib-breaking goron hug.

"I've missed ya so much, bud."

Despite pretty much having his lungs crushed, Link did his best to pat Gorko on the back.

"Missed ya, too..."

He'd been plopped down, finally, and was gasping for air.

"Bud, I've got so much to show ya, especially 'bout the Sheikah–"Gorko's face fell, now that he could see Link's face clearly. The hero placed his hand over the left side of his face, trying to conceal the damage, but it was too late and already attracted Gorko's notice.

"Dear Din, Link, what on earth happened to you?"

Link squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled.

"I'd rather not tell. Anyhow, you said something about the Sheikah?"

Gorko, although still clearly shaken, didn't press further.

"Yeah, bud! Even better, they're still around. Although I've yet to see one myself, I've plenty of evidence."

"Ya know this kid, Gorko?" Darunia interjected.

"Yes, Chief. His name's Link, and he's the hero of legend; he's the one that beat Demise himself!"

Link could feel everyone's eyes on him at that moment. He bit his lip nervously, and chuckled softly.

"Is that so?" Darunia asked.

Link nodded, pulling off his glove to reveal the mark of the hero: the Triforce.

Everyone in the room went berserk, cheering, clamouring, and patting him on the back. Link, had absolutely no idea how to respond to this. His heroic status hadn't ever received this kind of raucous reception.

Darunia lay a hand on his shoulder, causing Link to jump in his own skin.

"Brothers." The whole room went silent. The warm torchlight gave a dramatic, fiery glow. Everyone stared at Link in anticipation. "At long last, the moment we've all been waiting for... the Hero of Legend has returned!"

That day a grand celebration was thrown. The whole mountain shook with the rumbling of deep, earthy voices singing and laughing.

Link wasn't used to being the centre of attention, he was naturally quite introverted and tended to keep to himself.

"Brother, why aren't you joining in with the festivities?" Darunia inquired.

"I've... never been much of a party-goer. Didn't have many friends, and for a long time I just couldn't start the chatter."

"Boy, this is for you! It's not everyday the Hero of Legend strolls up to your doorstep, especially on a day as special as this." He rested a hand on Link's shoulder, and gave him a hearty grin.

A special day like this?

"Besides, you look like you could do with a little companionship."

Link nodded, smiling meekly.

"Good. Now go and have fun."

It seemed best to obey the chief, and thus Link managed to wander into the heart of the festivities. The room was warm and inviting, the joy radiating from each goron around. Link could see that many of them were in deep conversation, and didn't know how quite to approach them. He needn't worry for long, as a group spotted him and waved, beckoning him to join them.

"Welcome to Goron City, Brother!" one proudly declared, raising his drink.

"Thank you!" Link said, nodding with a smile on his face.

"We hope you'll enjoy your stay here," the goron said. "Name's Rogaro; I run one of the smith's around here. Come to me if you equipment ever needs some sprucing up!"

"I'll be sure to check in sometime."

"How about we go get something from the buffet; you look like you could use some feeding."

And with that, they quickly joined a queue. However, he soon learned there wasn't much for him to eat. Gorons, being people of stone, often ate just that. There were all kinds of rock-based dishes, some lathered in molten metal like it was gravy, others with the sprinkling of crushed gemstones and desserts made of softened lead. At the end of the table was a stunning three-tiered cake made of marble, coated with a layer of crushed, snow-white crystals and topped with rubies that reminded him of berries.

He was hungry, and some of these dishes looked really appetizing. At some point, he nearly reached for one of the desserts only to remind himself that these were made of lead, and if he ate them he'd most likely die.

"Hero, why aren't ya taking anything? Ya look like you're starving!" One of his companions asked.

The comment drew the attention of the others in the queue, and soon enough many of them were trying to offer him food. Link was overwhelmed, and could barely react.

"Brother, you needn't be shy- have this!" One of them remarked, as he thrusted a sapphire into the young man's hands.

Link felt a large hand pat his back, nearly knocking him over, followed by a playful chuckle.

"I appreciate the offer, really," Link stammered. "But I'm afraid as a human, I can't eat it–"

"How about some pebbles, then?" another one offered.

"I'm afraid not–I can't eat any of this."

A sheepish expression crossed the goron's face, and he pulled himself back.

"Oh."

Link awkwardly handed the sapphire back to the goron who offered it, and he too looked embarrassed. Everyone did.

"It's fine, really; I packed myself some food! Besides, I'm not very hungry," he said, as he had to refrain himself from drooling at all the heavenly looking dishes.

"Alright then, bud–singing's about to start in a bit. How about you join us in that?" Rogaro suggested.

Link nodded. "Sounds good, but don't blame me if you want to cover your ears!" the hero remarked, grinning.

"Ya needn't worry about that. No one'll notice all the little flaws when you're singing among a crowd."

Once his companions had filled their plates, they resumed casual chatter, albeit with a few enthusiastic gorons butting in too quickly introduce themselves to him. As genuinely nice as it made him feel, Link still was dumbfounded about their excitement. Neither the Kikwis, Parella or even the Dragons themselves seemed all too keen on getting to know him; although the last one he could chalk up to them literally being deities. Nayru knows nothing, and no one impresses watched in amazement as the gorons shoveled in more rocks than he would've thought possible, one downing nearly an entire rock cake in one swallow while another ate pebbles like they were going out of style. Darunia called them all to begin their carols, just as the gorons slowed down with their eating, indicating that the meal was drawing to a close. With enthusiasm, Link nestled in with the crowd, and waited for the stone slabs bearing the verses to be passed around.

Once the tablets had been spread evenly amongst them, roughly about one to three, they began.

With voices low and gravelly, accompanied with drums and horns, their songs filled the mountain, echoing through the halls.

Their song told of the goddess Din, and how she wrought the earth with her strong, fiery arms, shaping it like a sculptor would their clay. How when Nayru brought law, and Farore life, Din commissioned the latter to create for her a race born of earth.

They sang how Din taught them the ways of mining, smithing and craftsmanship. How she erected the mountains with them in mind, nestling gold and diamonds in the earth for their pleasure.

They sang her praises, professing their love to their earthly mother, thanking her for all she did for them.

Link's throat was raw and his voice crackling by the time they had finished, but he barely noticed in light of his raised spirits. He was laughing with and high-fiving his companions–although, slamming the palm of your hand into a hard surface isn't exactly the most painless of experiences.

By Farore, if the encounter with the rebel group wasn't enough to make him feel sick with nostalgia, then this certainly was. He remembered a festival his people celebrated for the new year, thanking Hylia for all she'd done for them, all the singing, dancing and feasting–

Link had little time to reminisce when Darunia interjected by calling for the dancing to commence.

Time seemed to pass by in a blur as Link alternated between chatting and dancing. Even though he was wearing his lungs out, Link couldn't help but throw himself back into the fray. He couldn't recall much afterwards, for nothing of note was said or done, but in the moment he was full of merriment.

As the torchlight began to wane, the room growing dimmer, the celebration was drawing to its close. Gradually, more and more of his companions settled, until the air grew calm and quiet.

"Brothers," boomed Darunia, torch burning brightly in his hand, cutting sharp shadows around his rough face. "Tonight is that of the Hero; let us go to the shrine and pay our respects."

They all paraded down a long, ruined passageway. In the walls, letters of an old language were carved alongside mosaics depicting long, fiery serpents and fierce goron warriors. Entire lengths had crumbled to dust, which puzzled Link seeing as there was no wind or rain to erode the rock. He soon found his answer, in the form of a gaping ravine: below were railways and mine-shafts.

Ahead of them was a crude stony bridge that looked like it had been set up in a hurry. Beyond that rested a pair of towering stone gates studded with diamonds that looked like they hadn't been opened in millennia. When they'd crossed the chasm and reached the jeweled gates, Darunia brought everyone to a halt. On either side of the door were two bonfire-sized torches. The chief handed Link the torch, nodding.

Link looked ahead and bit his lip. He strode over to the beacon on the left, grasping the torch half his size firmly. He poured lamp-oil all over the coals, and gingerly set his flame to them. Within seconds, the beacon was blazing with a fierce fire. Link repeated the process with the torch on the right, and came rushing back to the group. He offered Darunia the torch, but he rejected the offer.

The doors slowly began to edge open. Everyone was still in anticipation. Link licked his dry lips and swallowed. The mood seemed to be a combination of excitement and solemness. He looked around at his companions. Some seemed rather young and looked as though they never had seen these gates in their entire lives, their eyes glimmering with wonder. The older ones, however, seemed to hold a profound respect for the place.

When the gates were just wide enough to walk through, the party began to edge their way into the room. Link held up his torch, and before him stood what seemed to be a life-like statue of a being with glowing blank eyes, but the finer details were shrouded in a blanket of shadow. Link's breath hitched.

The hero paced around the statue, up the stairs that spiraled around the sculpture. He looked back at the gorons, who only watched him intently.

The figure held a double-helix sword that was nearly as tall as itself. He was clad in plates of silver armour with golden accents, and the tunic underneath seemed to be a light teal. While at the top of the stairway, Link held the torch to the effigy's face. And what he saw was a mirror image of himself, yet there were some differences. For starters, its hair was a platinum-white instead of a dark, dirty blonde. It had war-paint in the forms of two red dashes on each cheekbone and a blue arrow-shaped marking on its forehead.

The expression of the statue was stern, and, dare I say, fierce. He looked like a figure of authority, one who expected nothing but the best...

Link touched the side of his own scarred face, and was reminded just how far he'd fallen.

He tore his face away from that piercing white glare, and rushed back down the steps, taking care not to burn himself with the torch in his haste. When he'd reached the bottom, heaving and panting, he handed Darunia the torch.

"What is this place, and who was that statue?" Link asked in-between breathes.

However, it was not Darunia who answered, but an ancient, decrepit goron with a hunched back.

"This is the shrine of the Fierce Deity, Hylia's first hero. He saved us from the bloodlust of our distant kin."

Link nodded his head, and bit his lip.

"You don't look so good, bud. What's the matter?" a rather concerned Gorko asked.

Link closed his eyes, and swallowed. He let out an exasperated chuckle. "Eh, nothing much."

Gorko didn't look convinced, but he didn't push the matter.

They left the deity a single, clear diamond as a thanks for all he had done for them. They made their way back to the city, the wide gates to the shrine shutting behind them as the flames went out. When they'd entered the City Center, they cleared up whatever was left of the celebration, then parted ways. The only ones left were Darunia and his vanguard, Link and Gorko.

"So, Link, where'dya like to stay for the night?" Darunia asked.

"If it's fine with Gorko, I'll stay at his place"–he turned to Gorko, receiving a nod–"we have some catching up to do."

"Alright. I'll leave you be. See ya in the morning, Brother."

Link waved goodbye to the chief as he headed back to his quarters. He then turned around to face his companion.

"Follow me," the goron said.

And so Gorko curled up into a ball and rolled down the hallway. Link had to basically chase him down, only just being able to see him around the corner. Funny how such huge, lumbering creatures could be so fast when rolling.

After running around like a madman, wearing out his lungs and legs, they'd finally arrived. It was a quaint little burrow, with everything a conspiracy-theory-obsessed goron could ever ask for in one room. You had the dining quarters, a nest of various fabrics in one corner for a bed, and in the other a library. Bookshelves crammed with more books than thought possible lined practically every wall in that corner, and if there was a space that didn't have one then it had various maps and charts slapped to the wall. There was a desk, too, surrounded by piles of even more books.

"Link dragged himself in, panting harder than he'd ever had in his life. He slumped to the ground, gasping and wheezing.

"Next time... maybe go a little slower..." Link breathed out.

"Ah, sorry, bud! Forgot you humans don't roll- you should try it sometime; it really is a lot faster." Gorko chuckled. He let out a hand, lifting Link off the floor.

"That... probably wouldn't work."

Gorko simply laughed, and slapped him on the back, causing Link to go into another gasping fit. However, the hero simply laughed it off. He picked up a stool and situated it in the study. Link reached for one of the books, flipping through the pages.

"Alright bud, so what's been troubling ya? And if you're alright with it, what happened to your face?"

Link was caught off-guard, nearly letting the book slip out of his hands.

"A lot of things- and I-I'd rather not tell..."

Gorko grabbed the chair from the desk, and plopped it right in front of Link. The hero gently closed the book, and laid it on his lap.

"I understand. How 'bout we start at the statue. What bothered ya so much?" His voice was uncharacteristically soft and quiet, but still held that gravelly edge.

"He looked so intimidating, serious, judgmental,"

Gorko narrowed his eyes, and nodded.

"It's just so jarring," Link continued. "To think that I could be anything like that. And for some reason, I just can't feel a connection to him, the deity."

"Well, to be fair, we don't have many records of him. I have my suspicions for that- but that's a story for another day. What I'm saying is, maybe you'd feel something if you actually knew what he was like. Then again, I'm not the reincarnation of an important deity, nor do I have enough data to suggest that what you feel is normal."

Link gnawed at his lower lip. He could feel everything, everything that troubled him bubbling up.

"He looked like he disapproved of me, feeling shame at how far his legacy had fallen-"

"Bud, are you serious? You beat Demise of all people–source of all evil–something even he couldn't do!"

"But look at me now. I couldn't save my people, my comrades, my friends!" He squeezed his eyes shut, and gritted his teeth. "They were killed, tortured, made slaves! And all because I was too incompetent, all because I wasn't strong enough!" Link was shouting as he blurted out everything. His voice was beginning to crack, and at times he sounded like the kid who'd jumped off the edge of his world to save the one he loved.

"And all on my wedding day, the day I was going to marry Zelda- and I couldn't even save her as that... that psychopathic monster dug his claws into my scalp and held me up so I could see my world burn-"

Rocky arms were wrapped around him, hugging him, patting him on the back. Link couldn't scream anymore, his voice felt too horse. He slumped down on a hard shoulder, and sobbed. A silent, choking sob. Tears began to fall from his eyes like raindrops; few at first, then a waterfall.

"I...I was... helpless..." Link whispered in between fits.

"I'd be, too. None of it's ya fault, Link, none of it."

Gorko pulled apart, leaving only his hand on Link's shoulder. He lifted Link's head up, dusty coal-black eyes staring into watery, blue ones.

"No one saw it coming. He caught ya off guard, on a day that was supposed to be about you and your wife. Ya had no way of preparing for a foe long thought dead." He patted Link's shoulders and got up. "Probably best ya get some rest. If all goes well, tomorrow you'll be leaving,"

And then Link was hit with the weight of Zelda's fate, and how he had to hurry. If only he hadn't let her go. If only he'd followed.

That night, Link set out his things and huddled up in a nice little corner. Gorko'd given him few extra blankets and said he could keep them if he wanted. Link huddled under the covers, and closed his tear-stained eyes. He felt his head get heavy, his mind begin to slip, and within no time he was in the realm of dreams.

* * *

Groose had been out for three days now. Construction on the school had been continued, despite the setback.

Link hadn't gotten a moment's peace ever since the boisterous redhead fell from the villa's roof. Every waking moment he spent worrying and contemplating the fate of his friend. Despite Zelda assuring him that all seemed well, his thoughts persisted.

No human should ever be able to bleed the blood of darkness, ichor that stained the tips of his fingers a filthy black. Even three days since then, the stain still defiled his fingertips, dying them. The liquid seemed to burn when you touched it, yet caused no pain and left no blisters.

The hero had been sitting at Groose' bedside for hours, bringing plenty of books to keep himself occupied. Yet he found himself startled at every breath the giant made, thinking he'd awoken. But alas, he seemed as still as ever.

Around half an hour ago, Owlan had changed the bandages that wrapped around Groose' head like a turban. They currently bore little to no stain, thankfully. Groose seemed to be healing surprisingly fast for someone who'd split open his skull, which worried Link even more. He'd seen his friend bleed before, and it was the same crimson red that flowed from all of them. Awhile back he'd sustained an injury similar to this during the raids, and it took him weeks to recover, although Link remembered he'd been conscious within roughly a day, albeit rather groggy.

There was a turn at the handle. Pipit entered the room, his daffodil-yellow tunic contrasting against the muted colours of the infirmary, if one could call it that. Link set the book down on his lap and turned to face him.

"Any improvement?" Pipit asked.

"Link shook his head.

The senior sighed, taking a chair from the corner of the room and popping right down beside Link. The latter handed him a book about birds.

"You know, your second anniversary with Karane is coming up next week. What'd you plan on getting her?" Link asked nonchalantly. Probably best to turn his mind to more positive matters.

"Actually, Link..." Pipit bit his lip, his wide blue eyes darting around the room. "I'm planning on proposing."

"Are you?" Link's eyes lit up. "At last, some good news.

"Yeah. We've been pretty serious lately, and I think it's time to move onto the next step," Pipit said, a little smile tugging at his lips. "Although, we've both pretty much agreed that we'll wait before having kids. I want to savour our time together while we're still young."

"More power to you," Link remarked.

It was nice knowing that some people were able to get on with their lives. Link felt like something was holding him back, like he'd left something unfinished.

"So, how's Zelda been? Haven't really seen her since the incident."

"Optimistic."

"Don't know what I was expecting, to be honest. Despite all she's gone through, she's still managed to keep a smile on her face."

Link flicked another page, digging his nose deeper into the manuscript.

"Unlike me," Link muttered.

"Link, what in the blue sky are you talking about? You're doing great!"

Link looked up from his book and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, don't give me that look!"

The hero set the book down, and pursed his lips. "Pip, I'm a mess. I just can't get used to this, the peace. I still feel like something's calling for me, like I still have a duty to fulfill."

"Then direct it at your work, find ways to make it productive."

"That's the thing, Pip, I have! And yet I still feel like something's out there, something's calling me."

"Then go and find it."

"I can't. I don't know where it is, where to go, how to go about it. How can you fulfill a task you don't even know?"

Pipit opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. He sighed. "Look, I'm no hero of legend, so maybe what you're feeling is normal. Maybe you'll always feel like there's something calling for you, I dunno. But whatever it is, don't let it get in the way of your life, 'kay?"

It was then Groose jolted up from the bed, sweat beading down his temple and terror in his eyes. Link scrambled to do something while Pipit called for assistance. Link reached out his hand to comfort the bulky man, only to be flung across the room. The redhead tumbled out of bed, and attempted to attack Link.

"Groose, what the hell are you doing?!" Pipit yelled, attempting pull the giant away from Link.

Link was forced to push Groose off, and smack him in the jaw. The latter seemed to regain his senses, and blinked in disbelief.

"Link?"

"Yeah, man, it's me. What on earth happened?"

"W-Where'd it go?!" Groose screamed, searching the room.

"Where'd what go?" Pipit asked.

"The demon! Did you not see it?"

Pipit simply looked confused, while Link's face grew pale.

"What demon?" the knight inquired.

"The one that was in this room!"

Pipit did his best to console Groose, gently patting him on the back, while the medics, accompanied by Zelda entered the room. Groose was gently placed in his bed, while Zelda asked him questions.

"Hey, it's okay," she cooed, gently rubbing circles into his back. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"There was a demon! I swear it was there, clear as daylight-"

Peatrice began to examine the bandages, and seemed content knowing the wound hadn't re-opened.

Pipit kneeled down before Link. "Did he hurt you?"

Link shook his head, he himself still shaken. His fears had been confirmed, and it seemed that Groose had been visited, even possessed, by a demon. By all accounts, this should not be possible–Demise was dead and gone! And so should his disciple; Link himself had seen him disintegrate right before his eyes.

The scene seemed to become a blur people tending Groose and others entering the room in an immense hurry. Zelda was speaking to him, yet he couldn't hear. She was tapping his cheek, but he couldn't feel. It all felt like he was underwater. Somewhere, somewhere in this mess, Link could swear he heard a faint, metallic chime.

* * *

Link awakened to Gorko scribbling at his desk, muttering something incoherent. When he'd seen that Link had awakened, he commented:

"Glad to see you're up. How was your nap?"

Link shrugged, muttering a sleepy "Good, I guess," before propping himself up. His eyelids still felt heavy, and he was tempted to sleep for a little more. But nonetheless, he resisted.

"Good, good. Got some records on the Sheikah, wanna see?"

Link's ears perked up. He heaved himself off the ground, and lumbered toward the stool. Presently, Gorko dumped a journal, a file and a stack of paper on him.

"I see you've up to "a lot these days,"

"Indeed. Dropped by here a week ago to visit my friends and family; I was meant to stay for only three days then get back to my work, when the monsters moved in."

"Speaking of monsters," Link "started. He wasn't too sure how to tell Gorko, but he guessed it probably would be of use to him. "Some have actually been rebelling against the demon king-"

"Whoa, bud. Are you talking for real?!"

"Yeah. Actually got here "traveling alongside a band of them. A moblin named Grendel was actually able to speak some Hylian, although not very much."

Gorko shot up from his seat, gobsmacked.

"Ya... ya traveled alongside them? Bud, I think you've found the key,"

Link had no time to react when Gorko grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him out the door. Once again, Link had underestimated the speed of an excited goron. He was surprised Gorko hadn't rolled up into a ball and run him over in his enthusiasm.

They zipped past hallways, through tunnels and bounded through caverns. Every now and then, they'd run into a goron who'd been unfortunate enough to be in their way. Neighbours looked on in confusion as their usually gruff and stoic kinsman was dragging the Hero of Legend down the hall with a wide grin.

When they'd rammed into the Trading Hub, Gorko spent no time in bounding up to the chief's burrow. The guards, however, stopped him and inquired about his business.

"This is of upmost importance, brothers. Link here has word of demons rebelling against their king- this could be it!"

Their jaws hit the floor, eyes wide, as they proceeded to let them through.

Once inside, Link was finally allowed a moment to breathe. Everyone's eyes were on them, as Gorko blurted out the news.

The room was sizeable, not huge by any means, but large enough to hold the twenty or so gorons that made up most of the political structure of the city. Tall, broad-shouldered with puffed out chests were the war heroes, generals and warlords. While their stature was not quite as impressive as their chief's, they were intimidating and, with fierce hardened faces, demanded respect nonetheless.

Elders stood around the assembly, hunched and decrepit. The stone peeling off in layers from their ancient bodies, and their white locks thinning. Dull eyes the colour of coal that beheld wisdom spanning over centuries gazed into Link's own youthful ones.

"Link here, he says the demons are rebelling against the king–he's even traveled amongst them, and even better: one of them could speak Hylian! Would you believe?!"

Many sets of beady black eyes flew open in disbelief, even those of the elders. Every living thing in the room had grown still, taking in these words.

Darunia rose from his throne, towering over everyone with his gargantuan form.

"How about we let Link tell us"? I call for a meeting this instant!" Darunia bellowed, his voice vibrating throughout the thick air of the room.

Without hesitation, everyone headed down a hall to the right. Link scurried after them, still worn out from being dragged all around the city. At the end of the hall they turned right again, and entered a room with deep shelves stocked full of stone tablets carved deep into the dark-brown walls. All around the sides of the room were rows of chairs, and at the far back, directly in front of some kind of statue, was a podium of sorts with two more chairs on either side.

The tribe spilled into the room, each one of them taking their seat. Darunia gently nudged Link to one of those by the podium, the hero biting his lip and nodding. Speaking in front of a large group of people, particularly all these important political figures, made him nervous. He'd gotten better at it over the last few years, but there was a time where the most he could say without stuttering were short phrases.

Link sat down, and slowly the room began to settle.

"As you all know," the chief began, "the demon tribe has been an eminent threat for the last couple of years. We've had to close off tunnels, call for lock-downs in the city, and cut trade routes. And they've only been getting stronger."

There was a certain vibe of grimness, tiredness that carried all throughout the chamber. There was no denying it.

"Their influence spreads even to the far edges of Faron, as some have said, and maybe even beyond that. Worse still, there've been rumours of them taking back an old factory in Lanayru Desert. But, we may have a chance."

This was where Link would have to get up and speak. He swallowed back the lump in his throat, licked his dried lips and took a deep breath.

"The hero has come with great news. How about he come up and tell us himself?"

Link slowly rose from his seat. All eyes were upon him, and he tried to avoid their gaze as best he could. He wished Groose were with him now, bursting to the brim with confidence, even if it could get a little overbearing. He took Darunia's place at the podium, and swallowed.

"When I was on my way here" Link proceeded to avert their gaze, look at some random object and focus on that. Unfortunately, the room was quite sparse and what items there were had been covered by the bodies of the warlords. Link quietly sighed, and continued. "For some weird reason, I joined a gang of monsters. They were a rebel group-"

And already the mood of the audience was starting to change.

"One of them, a moblin named Grendel, was able to speak some Hylian, "even if very broken. The basic gist of it is, is that Ghirahim is a cruel, ruthless tyrant and is waging wars against other demonic kingdoms."

"Other kingdoms?!" one warlord cried.

"I was surprised too... but it does make sense in retrospect. Anyhow, the part about Ghirahim being a cruel, sadistic king didn't really surprise me. I've been in the same room as that... "thing", many times"

Link bit down on his quivering lip. Not now, not now...

He turned his head upwards, and wiped away his tears. "As I was saying": understandably, a good chunk of his kingdom are unhappy with him. One of the main reasons they even stuck with him in the first place was because he could bring back Demise. Thankfully, I was able to intervene. Unfortunately, despite my assumptions, I hadn't killed Ghirahim."

Link clasped his hands together, and looked to his audience.

"As most of you may have guessed, if we were to ally with these rebel forces, we may be able to take down the Demon King. However, whether or not they wish to cooperate is another story, considering we've been at war for centuries."

Some looked thrilled at the prospect, others looked skeptical, "perhaps downright offended at the suggestion. Link bit the inside of his cheek.

"But in the end, this is only a suggestion. This could backfire horribly, but if it doesn't, we may have a chance."

And with that, he stepped down.


End file.
